Erdogan: Turkey will stand by Iran against “unjust decisions”
December 20, 2018 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that Ankara will continue its close cooperation with Tehran in the face of “unjust decisions” against Iran.
Erdogan made the remarks at a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouahni, which was held after the 5th Meeting of High Council for Iran-Turkey Strategic Cooperation in Ankara on Thursday.
"The US withdrawal from the nuclear deal is not considered the right one. This decision increases the risks of the situation in the region, we do not support it. We will continue to be close to Iran at a time when unjust decisions are being taken against it," said the Turkish president.
According to a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting, the two sides criticized Washington's decision to scrap the 2015 multilateral deal on the Iranian nuclear program – officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – in defiance of UN Security Council resolution 2231, which has endorsed the international document.
They also expressed concerns over the unilateral sanctions that the US reinstated against Iran in the aftermath of its withdrawal from the JCPOA, saying the unfair restrictive measures could harm innocent people and leave a negative impact on regional economic relations.
Iran and Turkey also called for all-out efforts to protect the nuclear deal, which they hailed as the fruit of multilateral diplomacy on the world stage.
The two presidents also agreed to step up their economic cooperation with the aim of reaching a $30-billion target set for their annual trade,
Tehran and Ankara, the statement added, called for closer bilateral relations in all areas, especially economy, politics and fight against terrorism, saying enhanced ties between the two neighbors will contribute to the region's peace and stability.
'US anti-Iran sanctions amount to terrorism'
During the press conference, the Iranian president lauded strategic Iran-Turkey relations and said third party not will be able to hamper "friendly and close" ties between the two neighboring nations.
Rouhani thanked Erdogan for his firm stance on Washington's unilateralism and unlawful sanctions against Iran, saying "such positions indicated the two countries' commitment to law, mutual interests and morality."
The Iranian president said the US's hostile policies against the Islamic Republic amount to "terrorism," adding, however, that the "era of bullying is over, and that nations today make decisions based on their common interests."
During Thursday's talks, Rouhani and Erdogan also oversaw the signing of a number of agreements in different fields, including economy, politics and culture.
Iran, Turkey committed to Syria’s territorial integrity
Iran and Turkey – which serve, together with Russia, as mediators of a peace process on Syria – reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the crisis-torn country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity.
They praised the achievements of the peace process which has been underway between Syria's warring parties in Astana, Kazakhstan, since January 2017, saying negotiations should continue in parallel with counter-terrorism battles in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in the Middle Eastern country.
"There are many steps that Turkey and Iran can take together to stop the fighting in the region and to establish peace," Erdogan said.
"Syria's territorial integrity must be respected by all sides. Both countries are of the same opinion regarding this," Rouhani said in translated remarks.
Energy cooperation
The two presidents later joined an economic forum attend by senior Iranian and Turkish businessmen.
At the event, Rouhani said Iran was ready to provide Turkey with its energy needs, voicing Tehran's readiness to turn US sanctions into an opportunity for closer relations with Turkey in the economic sector.
The two countries, he said, should move towards free trade, saying Tehran was prepared to pave the ground for Turkish investors to play a more active role in the Iranian energy market.
Erdogan also used his speech at the forum to once against slam the US for targeting the Iranian people by its sanctions, saying that the two countries must not allow the bans to hinder the growth of bilateral ties.
Ankara will not abide by the American bans, he said, emphasizing that no party can ask Turkey to decrease its relations with its neighbors.