A senior Iranian foreign ministry official expressed "deep surprise" by the recent comments made by a Turkish minister over te use of Iranian territory by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Fars reported.
"Turkish officials are aware of the point that we are also against this terrorist group. We support Turkey in its fight against the PKK," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in a meeting with Recep Kizilcik, the governor of the Turkish province of Trabzon, on Thursday.

He further reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's support for Turkey in the country's fight against the terrorist group.

Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin said Monday in an interview with the Today's Zaman newspaper that PKK uses Iran's poorly protected borders for logistic purposes.

As regards bilateral ties, the Iranian spokesperson further said that as two strong countries in the region, Iran and Turkey should cooperate with each other to resolve regional woes.

"We do not need other countries to settle regional problems and we can resolve woes through consultation", he said.

PKK militants systematically organize attacks against civilian population and security forces in Turkey.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has lasted for over 25 years. The PKK is recognised as a terrorist organisation by both the UN and the EU.

By The Journal of Turkish Weekly

 

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