Official:

Iran, Turkey to Expand Anti-Terror Cooperation

TEHRAN (defapress)- Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Hossein Zolfaqari underlined that Tehran and Ankara have many capacities to broaden their mutual cooperation in the security fields.

News ID: 67627

Date: 20 December 2017 - 15:30

Zolfaqari made the remarks after his meetings with Turkish security officials on Tuesday.

"We discussed implementing the joint security agreement with Turkish officials," the Iranian deputy interior minister said.

"In our detailed meeting with the Turkish authorities we discussed the implementation and updating a security agreement between the two countries which existed before," he added.

He underlined that so far a series of joint issues like terrorist issues, human trafficking, arms trafficking, alcoholic drinks smuggling have been discussed during expert level meetings held in Iran and Turkey.

Zolfaqari pointed to the important results at the latest meetings, and said, "We reached a mechanism for cooperation regarding the mentioned issues that did not exist before, and the duties of the security commissions of the two countries were clarified and approved."

He noted that the threat of terrorist groups and their willingness to attack the neighboring countries, and Turkey government’s new approach over the past few months in relation with regional issues in particular have brought the two countries closer to each other.

Zolfaghari said that the two sides agreed to increase the number of joint working groups meetings to four times a year.

With regard to the opening of border crossings in the west of the country, Iran's deputy interior minister said they are waiting for the official orders in that regard.

"The two sides are installing physical barriers and concrete walls, which bring more security to both sides," he added.

In a relevant development in late October, Iranian and Turkish officials in a meeting in Ankara underlined the need to broaden mutual cooperation in different fields.

A high-ranking Iranian delegation to Turkey, led by the country's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, held a joint session with a Turkish delegation in the Turkish capital.

Speaking at the meeting, Jahangiri referred to a recent visit of the Turkish president to Tehran and urged both sides remove all barriers to implementation of reached agreements and elevation of bilateral cooperation.

He said banking, customs and energy sectors were appropriate venues for development of relations and voiced Iran’s readiness to launch further collaboration with Turkey over bilateral, regional and international issues.

Iran’s VP also stressed the need to establish security and fight against terrorist groups inside the region reiterating that all parties could benefit from security cooperation with Iraq.

Underscoring that the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan had been initiated by the Zionist regime and the US, the official stated that separation of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) could be detrimental to its people.

He also called for more serious steps to tackle plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar saying “efforts should be made to save the oppressed Muslims in the Southeast Asian nation.

At another part of his remarks, Jahangiri maintained that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was an international deal and no country could leave it individually; “all countries need to make efforts so that the US sticks to the agreement.”

The Iranian VP later underlined that Tehran and Ankara had to spare no effort to realize the 30-billion-dollar figure of trade turnover between the two countries.