Rouhani's WAVE Proposal Only Way to Save Region from Terrorism: Iranian Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior Iranian official expressed deep concern over the spread of terrorism in the Middle East, saying that if regional states ignore President Hassan Rouhani's proposal on counter-terrorism, they would face "a dangerous fate".
If the region disregards Dr Rouhani's 'WAVE' (World against Violence and Extremism) proposal, which was approved in the UN general assembly, it will face a dangerous fate, Political Deputy of Iran's Presidential Office Hamid Abutalebi said on his twitter account on Friday.
He further pointed to a statement released by the Turkish foreign ministry titled "Press Release Concerning Turkey-US Understanding on Countering DEASH (ISIL)", saying the statement indicates that Turkey has adopted a new approach to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group.
"Conditions are changing in Turkey," the Iranian official noted.
"When (in a recent meeting) Rouhani discussed with (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan the necessity to counter terrorism, Erdogan was supporting (terrorist) groups in Syria," Abutalebi said, referring to Turkey's role in backing terrorist groups in the region, including ISIL.
In its press release on Friday, Turkish foreign ministry said, "The DEASH (ISIL) problem is a primary national security threat for Turkey. The dimensions of this threat are constantly growing."
Turkey's policy shift regarding ISIL came after a suicide bombing in Suruc, located in southern Turkey near the Syrian border and opposite the Syrian town of Kobane, killed more than 30 people last week.
The explosion targeted people from the Socialist Youth Associations Federation, also known as the SGDF, who had gathered at a cultural center before their journey to Kobane to help in the restructuring of the war-ravaged town in Syria.
According to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, there was a "high probability" that the ISIL terrorist group was behind the attack.