Erdogan from Iran: Ready to Cooperate to Counter Terrorism

Local Editor

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan visited Iran on Wednesday to bolster trade and energy ties, state TV said, in what also looked like a bid to defuse tensions over Syria by capitalizing on Tehran's diplomatic opening to regional rivals and the West.

While deep divisions remain between Ankara and Tehran over the conflict in Syria, diplomats and government officials say both sides want to mend a relationship that could be pivotal to the fast-changing political map of the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Erdogan met the Supreme Leader of the Islamic revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei as well as President Rouhani.

Media reports mentioned that Erdogan, during his meeting with Imam Khamenei, hailed Iran a his second home.
"The expansion of cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey, as two powerful countries in the region, will frustrate terrorist activities," Rouhani said.
"We [Iran and Turkey] have the same views on important regional issues including fight against terrorism and extremism," the Iranian president stated.
He added that Tehran and Ankara also share common views on the importance of providing the Syrian people with humanitarian aid, particularly in winter, in an effort to resolve part of their problems.
The two countries believe that only the Syrian people must decide about their country's future, he pointed out.
"Iran and Turkey should also improve cooperation in other regional issues pertaining to neighbors' security which is among common issues between the two countries," Rouhani said.

He urged enhanced cordial relations between Iran and Turkey as two Muslim nations in all fields.
The Turkish premier, for his part, said Iran and Turkey are the most powerful countries in the region and added that Ankara seeks to increase the level of economic ties with Tehran to 30 billion dollars by 2015.
He emphasized that Turkey would strengthen cooperation with Iran to counter terrorist groups.
At the end of the meeting, Rouhani and Erdogan signed the document for the establishment of a high council for political cooperation between Iran and Turkey for the first time after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. The council will pave the way for broader cooperation between the two countries.
"Our relations with Turkey have entered a new phase and we hope this trend continues. Besides serving the interests of the two countries, we hope our dialogue (with Turkey) serve regional interests as well," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told reporters in Tehran.

She further stated: "As two neighbors and Muslim countries, Iran and Turkey enjoy many commonalities and many cooperation opportunities."
Erdogan signed three trade deals on Wednesday before leaving Tehran to fly home, Iranian state television said.
"Today we had a good chance to review bilateral ties," Erdogan said in remarks translated into Farsi by Iranian television as it showed him meeting Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri.
"I would like to mention specifically, and to express my satisfaction with, the agreement we signed in the preferential trade field," he said. "It is obvious that we import from Iran crude oil and gas, which are strategic energy sources, and we (will be) able to increase the volume of these imports."
No details were immediately released about the three trade pacts or Erdogan's meetings with Imam Khamenei and Rouhani, who plans to visit Turkey within the next few months, according to Iranian and Turkish media.

Turkey is keen to increase oil and gas imports from Tehran in anticipation of sanctions against Iran's huge energy sector being dismantled in the wake of the Nov. 24 deal between Tehran and six big powers under which the Islamic Republic committed to scaling back some of its controversial nuclear activities.

"We hope the process will be finalized with an agreement that will ensure the removal of all sanctions on Iran. Turkey has so far done its best in that regard and will continue to do so," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara before he flew to Tehran.
Iranian officials say trade between the countries stood at $22 billion (16.2 billion euros) in 2012, before dipping to $20 billion in 2013, and that it should reach $30 billion in 2015.
Iran was Turkey's third largest export market in 2012. In fact, Iranian media said, Turkey exports more than 20,000 products to Iran, among them gold and silver.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team