Rouhani Warns About Consequences of Changes in Regional Geographical Borders

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, on Monday, October 2, warned about the consequences of changes in geographical borders in the region during a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Army. According to IRNA, Rouhani stated that "the fight against terrorism and the preservation of geographical borders in the region are among the most important goals of the two countries in developing cooperation and relations" and said, "Iran and Turkey, as two important countries and anchors of stability in the region, will have a better impact and role in resolving regional issues whenever they stand together." The Iranian President emphasized the "necessity of efforts to strengthen central governments in Iraq and Syria for territorial integrity, fighting terrorism, and creating stability in the region and preventing any changes in geographical borders," stating, "Any disruption of stability in geographical borders will lead to increased insecurity and instability in the region." This meeting comes as Iran and Turkey have repeatedly expressed their opposition to the "independence referendum" of the Kurdistan region of Iraq in recent weeks. According to the report, General Hulusi Akar, the Chief of the Turkish Army, also stated, "Turkey respects the territorial integrity of all countries in the region, including Syria and Iraq, and is ready to expand its cooperation with friendly countries, especially Iran, in the fight against terrorism and instability." While Iran and Turkey share a common stance on the independence referendum in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the two countries have differing views on the developments in Syria. Iran supports the government of Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey supports the opponents of the Syrian government. General Hulusi Akar had met with Mohammad Baqeri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, earlier on the same day. In this meeting, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces stated that Tehran and Ankara have "common and identical positions" regarding the "Kurdistan referendum." Major General Mohammad Baqeri emphasized that the two countries do not "accept" the Kurdistan referendum. This meeting of the Turkish military official with Iranian officials took place two days before the visit of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, to Tehran. Mr. Erdoğan is scheduled to visit Tehran on Wednesday, October 4, to meet and discuss with Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, and Hassan Rouhani. The Turkish state news agency quoted Mr. Erdoğan as saying that the "High Strategic Cooperation Council of the two countries" will be held during this visit, and discussions will take place regarding the "situation in northern Iraq."