Iran’s Ambassador to Ankara says consultations between regional heavyweights Iran and Turkey on the recent developments in Egypt have been “important and considerable.”
The Foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey have recently held detailed discussions on the situation in Egypt, Alireza Bigdeli said in an interview with the TRT Turk International TV channel on Saturday.
In a meeting between Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on July 12, major regional developments, most importantly the situation in Egypt and Syria, were discussed.
At the end of the talks, the Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers stressed the importance of respecting the Egyptian people’s will, Bigdeli said.
“Egypt is among the main pillars of the region and the Muslim world. Our stance is to respect the demands of the people in this country,” he stated.
Iran believes that the Egyptian people’s rich culture coupled with the prudence of the officials in Cairo can turn the current situation into a turning point in terms of the course of democracy in the region, he added.
The envoy emphasized that the Islamic Republic is against any foreign intervention in the affairs of regional countries.
Tension has intensified in Egypt since the North African country’s army overthrew President Mohamed Morsi, suspended the constitution, dissolved the parliament on July 3, and declared the chief justice of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, Adli Mansour, as interim president the following day.
A number of people have since been killed in the wave of violent clashes between Morsi supporters and his opponents and security forces.
Bigdeli further pointed to the crisis in Syria, and called for finding a solution to the bloodshed and restoring peace in the Arab country.
He urged all sides involved in the conflict in Syria to move toward holding elections.
Those who incite religious strife in the region should be reproached, he added.
The Iranian ambassador underlined that Iran and Turkey will counter those who seek to stoke religious conflicts in the region to serve their own interests.
The unrest in Syria erupted over two years ago and many people, including large numbers of Syrian soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies, especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, are supporting the militants.
By Press TV
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