Iran, Turkey Share View on Regional Issues: Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Tehran and Ankara have similar views on the recent developments in the Middle East.
Both the Iranian and Turkish governments believe that insecurity and war in the entire region should be stopped so that "we will witness brotherly ties among Muslim countries with the end of violence", President Rouhani said during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran.
He added that during his meeting with Erdogan before the press conference, the two sides discussed a whole range of issues, including recent developments in Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Yemen.
The Iranian president said Tehran and Ankara both believe that the bloodshed in Yemen should stop and a full ceasefire should be established in the country.
He went on to say that the two countries agree that providing humanitarian assistance to Yemen should start after the establishment of ceasefire and stability in the Arab country.
On March 26, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies began to militarily interfere in Yemen's internal affairs by launching deadly air strikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani appreciated the Turkish government's supports for Iran's stances on nuclear negotiations between Tehran and six world powers, saying that Erdogan backed the framework agreement on Iran's peaceful nuclear program recently reached in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
The two sides believed that the nuclear agreement would have a positive effect on the level of Tehran-Ankara cooperation, Rouhani said.
He further announced that the two countries are willing to boost the value of bilateral trade to $30 billion this year.