The foreign ministry has responded to the latest remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizing Tehran’s policy on Syria.
An unnamed official at the foreign ministry said, “Unfortunately Ankara’s interference in Syria’s internal affairs has prolonged the conflict and taken a huge toll on the civilian population.”
“Tehran believes that had Turkey’s officials not sought to overthrow the legitimate government in Syria and supported terrorist groups, the conflict in Syria would have been ended three years ago and innocent civilians would not have been killed,” IRNA quoted the official as saying on Tuesday.
It came in response to the latest comments by the Turkish president in which he criticized Iran over its stance toward Syria.
Erdogan said the two countries could not work together on the Syria issue despite the promises made in bilateral meetings, also questioning Tehran’s “sincerity,” the Turkish daily Hurriyet quoted him as saying on October 25.
“Recently, Iran’s activity in the region is in a very different position. Actions continue in Iraq and Syria, but unfortunately these [actions] are not being done with a sincere approach,” Erdogan claimed.
This was not the first time that the Turkish leader voiced disagreement with Iran. According to Turkish media, Erdogan questioned Iran’s policy on Syria in an October 13 address in Marmara University.
Elsewhere, the unnamed Iranian official said, “Amicable ties with Turkey are important for Tehran and such relations are growing … however, we hope (Turkish officials) by repeating those comments will not harm this positive process.”
