Hurriyet Daily News - Turkey�and�Iran�need to work together to find solutions to the problems of the Islamic world and for the unity of the Muslim Ummah, the head of�Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate said Nov. 30.

Ali Erba? made the remarks during a meeting with Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Turkey�and�Iran�have a lot of work to do for the Muslim Ummah, Erbas said during an inter-delegation meeting.

He noted that the Islamic world has been facing big problems such as conflicts, terrorism, Islamophobia, poverty and ignorance.

�What we need to do is work for the good of the Muslim Ummah by averting the obstacles through patience and a strong will,� he said.

�We are responsible for the blood that is being shed in the Islamic territories, particularly in Syria.

�We are responsible for the Palestinian territories still being under occupation. We need to exert more effort to resolve these problems,� he added.

For his part, Araki said: �If these two countries [Turkey�and�Iran] cooperate, I think there will be big impacts on the Islamic world.�

"Iran�and�Turkey�have had effective roles in the world for decades,� he said. �I think the same process can be carried out again with a common understanding.�