Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran wants to discuss greater economic cooperation and regional crises with neighboring Turkey.
“As two neighbors and Muslim countries, Iran and Turkey enjoy many commonalities. The leaders of Iran and Turkey seriously want to further develop economic ties," said Zarifi in a speech at a joint press meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
“Along with co-investments, some facilitation of communications and transport fields is on the two countries' agenda. Hopefully, these talks will be concluded during the Turkey-Iran High Level Cooperation Council meeting. And we hope that this cooperation will symbolize the unity of Islamic countries' cooperation, “ Zarifi said.
Zarif suggested business would be high on the agenda. “We are seeking the best possible level of economic cooperation with Turkey after the nuclear deal," he told reporters in Istanbul.
After the lifting of international sanctions this year following a deal with Western powers to curb its nuclear programme, Iran has become the biggest economy to rejoin the global trading system since the Soviet Union broke up more than two decades ago.
Zarif, on a visit to bolster bilateral trade and discuss political differences over the war in neighboring Syria, said the March 13 bombing in Ankara - which also injured 36 people - “displays the ugly face of terrorism."
The Iranian Foreign Minister expressed Iran's support for Turkey, which has been the target of terrorist attacks.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that the Turkey and Iran will increase their cooperation against terrorism.
Çavuşoğlu said that the activities of the terrorists of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) terrorist group, the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) cannot be counted as legitimate because of its so-called 'fight against Daesh.'
The Turkish minister also recalled Turkey's call to European countries to not have double standards on terrorism and to cooperate against terrorism without any pretexts.
“They have shown their real faces. They are not fighting for the freedom of Syria, but only aiming at declaring cantons and harming the territorial integrity of Syria. They want to divide Syria. With Iran, we support the territorial integrity of Syria," said Çavuşoğlu.
“Iran and Turkey have some difference of opinions on Syria, which neither side is denying. But we have major common ground on the future of Syria. Turkey never denied the significance of Iran in the solution process in Syria. We used to have a similar opinion for Russia, too. But Russia disappointed us and never played this role as it should have," Çavuşoğlu said.
“We still have disputes about Assad, who killed a significant number of people in his own country. Assad cannot provide unity in Syria after killing that many people, using chemical weapons and violating all international treaties," Çavuşoğlu added.
