Turkish President called on stronger ties with Iran despite US pressures.
Abdullah Gul has voiced Ankara's determination to boost trade ties with Iran, Addressing the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gul urged the Turkish businessmen to improve the country's trade with Iran, ILNA reported.
"Those who do not know may be annoyed by our trade ties with Iran, but Turkey-Iran trade is important to us," Turkey's Zaman newspaper quoted Gul as saying in the northeastern city on Tuesday.
He stressed that agreements between the officials of the two neighboring countries to improve the bilateral trade ties should be implemented.
Turkish State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafar Caglayan on Monday said that Ankara will not allow unilateral US sanctions imposed against Iran over its nuclear program hamper business with the oil-rich country.
"Turkey will act in line with UN decisions. But decisions made by the United States on its own do not bind us," he added.