Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran and Ankara are determined to fight terrorism in the region.
Rouhani made the remarks at a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey’s capital Ankara on Monday, saying, “The two sides had consultations on cooperation in fighting extremism and violence in the region.”
The Iranian president further stated that Tehran and Ankara can play an effective role in the efforts to stop the violence plaguing the region, saying, “The two regional powerful countries believe in and are determined for cooperation in this field.”
“Extremism and violence are harmful to all countries. Some countries, especially the Western ones, which have helped terrorism in the past… are remorseful now,” he added.
Rouhani also said that Iran and Turkey both believe the Middle East should be a zone free of nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president said the two neighboring countries have agreed to increase their trade volume to 30 billion dollars by 2015.
The Turkish prime minister, for his part, said Ankara is seeking to expand its economic relations with Tehran.
He also referred to the ties between Iran and Turkey, saying, “We have good age-old relations.”
Rouhani arrived in Ankara earlier in the day at the head of a high-ranking delegation for a two-day official visit to hold talks with senior Turkish officials on bilateral relations as well as regional issues.