Rouhani: Regional Issues Have Not Disrupted Tehran-Ankara Relations

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, said on Saturday, March 15, during a meeting in Tehran with Ahmet Davutoğlu, the Prime Minister of Turkey, that "some regional problems have not disrupted bilateral relations between Tehran and Ankara, and there are no obstacles to the development of relations between the two countries." According to the newspaper 'Iran', Rouhani added: "There is no disagreement between the two countries on respecting the territorial integrity of nations, that the future of each country should be determined by its own people, that war and bloodshed should stop, and that aid should be provided to refugees. Tehran and Ankara can take serious and useful steps together to gradually resolve regional issues and problems." The Turkish Prime Minister also stated during this meeting that "Ankara is determined to begin a new chapter in relations with Tehran," and expressed Turkey's readiness to fully cooperate with the Islamic Republic of Iran in the fight against terrorist groups in the region. These remarks from the two officials come ahead of talks between the Syrian government and its opponents, which are set to resume later this month. Rouhani and Davutoğlu's comments on cooperation between the two countries regarding regional issues come at a time when Turkey is a major supporter of the opposition groups against Bashar al-Assad, while Iran is a principal backer of Assad's government. Ahmet Davutoğlu arrived in Tehran on Friday evening, March 14, leading a delegation of ministers from the economy, customs and trade, communications and development, transportation, and energy sectors. On Saturday, during a press conference in Tehran regarding his country's relations with Iran, Davutoğlu stated that Turkey and Iran need to reach a common perspective to end sectarian tensions in the region. He also added that "we may have differences of opinion, but we cannot change our history and geography." Reports indicate that during Davutoğlu's visit to Tehran, officials from both countries discussed increasing trade volume in light of the lifting of many international sanctions against Iran.