In an exclusive interview with IRNA, Seyyed Abbas Araqchi added
that Iran has excellent ties with Turkey and disputes in several cases will
never overshadow cooperation between them.
Commenting on Ankara’s policies
regarding Syria, he said that Iran’s policies are different form those of
Turkey. Political reforms in Syria should be fulfilled gradually on a natural
course.
He also underlined that Iran and
Turkey can solve Syria’s crisis through cooperation.
The two countries will have a
policy of mutual respect in cases of dispute, he said.
He recalled the growth of
Iran-Turkey trade in recent years and said that economic exchanges between them
hit eight billion dollars in 2010 but it doubled in 2011, reaching 16 billion
dollars.
It was also agreed during Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Tehran in April the figure would
reach 35 billion dollars by 2015, Araqchi said.
He further stated that the two
countries have common stances vis-à-vis many issues such as fighting terrorism.
They also have close cooperation in international organizations.
Tehran and Ankara have always
opined that peace and stability in each country will benefit the other, he
noted.
As to the developments currently
unfolding in Syria, he said that President Bashar Assad is the pillar of the
country’s political structure which should be protected.
But the Zionists are seeking to
collapse the pillar, he said, noting that Syria is the forefront of resistance
against the Zionist regime.
The Syrians should determine the
fate of the country during elections and it is them who should decide whether
to maintain Bashar Assad in office or not, Araqchi said.
He also recalled Syria’s
neighborhood with Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and the Zionist regime and said that
Syria is different from Libya and any flame in the country will spread to the
entire region.
Asked about Turkey’s permission
to NATO to establish missile systems in its territory, he said that each
country decides based ts interests but it should not pose threats to other
countries.
Ankara has on several occasions
announced that the system will not pose any threat to Iran but the NATO
Secretary General has declared that the aim of the system is Iran.
Such contradictory comments have
raised concerns in Iran, Araqchi said, noting that generally speaking,
bilateral ties are excellent and friendly.
