“Iran and Turkey, the two important countries in the region, are determined to fight against extremism and terrorism,” Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said in Ankara, adding that neither country benefited from instability in the region.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul commended Rouhani on his efforts in opening up Iran to the world since taking office last August.
The biggest division between the two neighbors has come over the Syrian civil war, in which they have found themselves supporting opposing sides.
Iran is the chief backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey is supporting the armed opposition.
Rouhani has congratulated Assad on his re-election for a third seven-year term last week, in a poll that angered Syrian opposition groups and their Western and Arab backers.
“What is important for us is to stop the bloodshed and conflict in Syria, remove terrorists coming from various countries and to let the people of Syria decide on its future,” he said Monday.
Rouhani’s trip to Turkey, flanked by a crowded delegation of ministers and Iranian businessmen, saw 10 bilateral deals signed in several sectors including finance, tourism, culture and communications – part of efforts to more than double trade to $30 billion by 2015.
The Iranian president later met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said: “We have made progress in our relations since Rouhani’s election.”
Iran and Turkey also chaired the first meeting of a high-level cooperation council, a new mechanism they have established to promote trade and regional integration.
Rouhani said the visit “will undoubtedly be a turning point in the two countries’ relationship.”
It was the first trip to Turkey by an Iranian president since former leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a “working” visit to Istanbul in 2008. The last official presidential visit from Iran to Turkey was in 1996 by Ayatollah Akbat Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Turkey is heavily reliant on Iran for oil and gas, having few energy resources of its own. It has been a fierce opponent of Western sanctions that has severely curtailed its access to Iranian fuel in recent years. Ankara also has long defended Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology.
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