Erdogan Criticizes US, Israeli Comments on Iran’s Recent Unrest

In a telephone conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday, Erdogan said he believes that Turkey’s stability and security are integrated with those of Iran.

Making an analogy between the recent unrest in Iran and the events in Turkey masterminded by certain powers, he said Ankara has the experience of facing Western media propaganda and is used to repetitious and interfering remarks from US President Donald Trump or Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.

He also voiced Turkey’s willingness to boost relations with Iran in all fields, expressing the hope for a jump in bilateral trade in 2018.

For his part, the Iranian president called for closer cooperation with Turkey in various areas, stressing the need for efforts to strengthen economic interaction through facilitated banking ties and use of national currencies for trade.

As regards the recent unrest that caused damages to public and private properties and led to a number of deaths in Iran, the president said the Iranian police’s prudent reaction to riots in some cities led to calm, noting that Iran enjoys full security in light of national opposition to rioters.

Reiterating the legality of protest rallies in Iran, Rouhani said the government would never remain silent on violent and illegal actions that threaten public security.

On Wednesday, people held demonstrations in many cities across Iran to condemn riots and acts of vandalism that happened during the recent civil protests in the country.

Riots broke out is some Iranian cities over the past few days amid peaceful rallies in protest at price hikes and economic woes.

Security forces have arrested a number of leading rioters and mercenaries affiliated with foreign intelligence services, a chief judiciary official in Tehran said.

On Tuesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei highlighted the role of enemies in the recent events in Iran, saying the adversaries have employed various tools at their disposal, including money, weapon, politics and security organizations, to harm the Islamic Republic.