Turkey Sets Stores by Iran’s Stability

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned attempts by foreign countries to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs following the recent protests against high prices in the country. “Turkey attributes great importance to the preservation of peace and stability in Iran,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday, according to Yeni Safak as cited by Tasnim News Agency. Rejecting attempts by foreign powers to meddle in Iran’s internal affairs, the ministry expressed hope that peace will be restored to its neighboring country as soon as possible. The statement added, “In this context, we believe the statement of [Iranian] President [Hassan] Rouhani that people have a right to peaceful protest but the law should not be violated and that public property should not be harmed should be taken into account.” Several cities in Iran have been scenes of demonstrations in the past days after prices of several staples rose by up to 40%. Some opportunists have attempted to turn the situation ugly and materialize their political interests at the cost of social security. Hawkish US officials, including President Donald Trump, have taken advantage of the situation in Iran to give vent to their anger on the Iranian government’s policies, going as far as calling for a regime change.