Iran, Turkey Discuss Joint Action against Terrorism
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The interior ministers of Iran and Turkey weighed plans for cooperation between the two neighbors in the fight against terrorism and in ensuring security along the common border.
In a telephone conversation on Thursday, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi and his Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu discussed plans for joint action by the two countries in the war on terrorism, promoting the bilateral and regional cooperation, the extradition of criminals, and countering drug trafficking.
Expressing his sympathy with Turkey over a recent terrorist attack in Istanbul, Vahidi said, “Iran and Turkey have common enemies, so more serious cooperation is needed in the fight against terrorism and those upsetting the security of the two nations.”
He further denounced the supports that the US, the UK, the Zionist regime and Saudi Arabia have voiced for the recent riots in Iran, stressing that their push to provoke riots in Iran will end in failure in the same way that their plots to back seditions against the Islamic Republic have been futile in the past.
Vahidi finally expressed Iran’s support for a “strong and stable Turkey”, noting that Iran and Turkey’s power and security will benefit the two neighbors and the region.
For his part, Soylu hailed the age-old and strategic relations between Turkey and Iran, saying Ankara seeks to strengthen ties with Tehran.
Warning against the attempts to undermine the relations between Iran and Turkey, Soylu said the Turkish and Iranian authorities should counter the ill-wishers of the two nations by enhancing the bilateral relations in all fields.
The Turkish minister also pointed to the close cooperation between the two neighbors in ensuring border security, noting that video surveillance of the border regions will increase the security of the common frontier.
