ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran has offered to help Turkey resolve current tensions with Russia, and called on Ankara for greater mutual cooperation over Syria despite their different policies, media reports said.
“We are worried about the Turkey-Russia tension and believe it is of no benefit to the region’s interests,” the BBC’s Persian service quoted Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri as saying.
“We are ready to help resolve this tension,” he reportedly told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a conference in Turkmenistan on Saturday.
The BBC report said they also discussed the political differences between their own two countries.
Turkey and Iran are on opposite ends in the Syrian civil war, which is now in its fifth year.
Iran and Russia back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey sides with the US-led coalition’s policy that the embattled Syrian president must step down.
Tensions between Ankara and Moscow spiked last month, after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane. Turkey insists the plane was in its airspace, and Russia maintains it was on a mission over Syria.
Tensions also have increased between Tehran and Ankara in recent weeks, over claims in the Iranian media that Turkey is engaged in a burgeoning “illegal oil trade” with the Islamic State group, or ISIS.
According to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, Jahangiri told Erdogan that despite their differences “over how the Syrian crisis can be resolved,” Tehran and Ankara need cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism.
There have been reports that Erdogan has expressed his concern over Iranian media claims about Turkey’s alleged oil trade with ISIS to Iranian officials, and called for curbs on such reports. In reply, Iran has reportedly claimed that its media are not controlled by the government.
Russia also has accused Turkey of oil trade with ISIS. Earlier this month Russian President Vladimir Putin provided satellite photos showing Turkey’s alleged huge involvement in oil trade with ISIS.
“We are worried about the Turkey-Russia tension and believe it is of no benefit to the region’s interests,” the BBC’s Persian service quoted Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri as saying.
“We are ready to help resolve this tension,” he reportedly told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a conference in Turkmenistan on Saturday.
The BBC report said they also discussed the political differences between their own two countries.
Turkey and Iran are on opposite ends in the Syrian civil war, which is now in its fifth year.
Iran and Russia back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey sides with the US-led coalition’s policy that the embattled Syrian president must step down.
Tensions between Ankara and Moscow spiked last month, after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane. Turkey insists the plane was in its airspace, and Russia maintains it was on a mission over Syria.
Tensions also have increased between Tehran and Ankara in recent weeks, over claims in the Iranian media that Turkey is engaged in a burgeoning “illegal oil trade” with the Islamic State group, or ISIS.
According to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, Jahangiri told Erdogan that despite their differences “over how the Syrian crisis can be resolved,” Tehran and Ankara need cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism.
There have been reports that Erdogan has expressed his concern over Iranian media claims about Turkey’s alleged oil trade with ISIS to Iranian officials, and called for curbs on such reports. In reply, Iran has reportedly claimed that its media are not controlled by the government.
Russia also has accused Turkey of oil trade with ISIS. Earlier this month Russian President Vladimir Putin provided satellite photos showing Turkey’s alleged huge involvement in oil trade with ISIS.
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