Turkey Committed To Expansion Of Economic Ties With Iran

Ankara, Jan 28, IRNA – Turkey is committed to expansion of economic relations with Iran, Turkey-Iran Business Council Chairman Ali Osman Ulusoy said on Friday. He made the remark in a meeting with Iran Consul General Mahmoud Heydari in Istanbul. “There have been some ups and downs in Tehran-Ankara relations but nothing can damage the two countries’ friendly ties,” the official noted. Heydari for his part stressed the importance of development of relations between Tehran and Ankara, adding that increase of economic relations is in the interest of both countries. Iran and Turkey cooperate in a wide variety of fields ranging from fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, to promoting stability in Iraq and Central Asia. Iran and Turkey also have very close trade and economic relations. Both countries are part of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). Turkey receives many Iranian tourists each year and economically benefits from Iranian tourism. In May 2010, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an unscheduled trip to Tehran in coordination with Brazilian President Lula da Silva to make an agreement to outsource Iranian uranium enrichmen to his country to avoid further sanctions on Iran. In supporting Iran after the agreement Erdogan turned the question back on the international community: 'In fact, there is no nuclear weapon in Iran now but Israel, which is also located in our region, possesses nuclear arms. Turkey is the same distance from both of them. What has the international community said against Israel so far? Is this the superiority of law or the law of the superiors?”/end