Rafsanjani: Iran, Turkey have common security concerns in region

Chairman of Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Tuesday that Iran and Turkey have common concern about security of the region and situation in Iraq and Palestine.

In a meeting with new Turkish Ambassador to Iran Hasano Gurcan Turkoglu, Rafsanjani said that the need for dialogue is felt more than ever and Iran and Turkey should work together to remove the bottlenecks to the establishment of security in the region.

"Iran and Turkey are great states with effective role in the region. Neighborhood and common grounds between Iran and Turkey in terms of religious and cultural affinity serve to develop
Tehran-Ankara relations," Rafsanjani said.

Rafsanjani said that Iran gives importance to relations with Turkey and that Iran is willing to utilize wide-scale capacities of the two countries for economic and trade cooperation.

Gurcan Turkoglu said that Turkish government supports Iranian right to produce nuclear energy and calls for diplomatic solution to the current stalemate on nuclear program.

The ambassador said that situation in the region requires closer cooperation between Iran and Turkey.

"What is going on in Iraq and Palestine is matter of concern for Turkey and Turkish government advocates territorial integrity and stability of Iraq and establishment of peace in Palestine," Turkoglu said.

IRNA