Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 12
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Iran escalates the situation in the region with aggravation of relations with Saudi Arabia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, TRT Haber TV channel reported Jan. 12.
Erdogan also criticized the use of death penalty in Iran.
Iranian authorities didn't take the necessary measures to protect the Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran, said Erdogan earlier.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran soured after execution of Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric, by the Kingdom. Mass protests took place in Iran following the said execution. In particular, the Saudi embassy in the capital Tehran and the consulate in the city of Mashhad were attacked, after which Riyadh broke off diplomatic ties with Tehran on Jan. 3.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Abdullah al-Moallem said that relations with Iran will be restored only when Tehran stops "interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, including that of Saudi Arabia's".
Kuwait recalled its ambassador to Iran over attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the embassy of Saudi Arabia, and urged Tehran and Riyadh to resolve the crisis in relations diplomatically.
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