Iran Rejects Turkey’s Patriot Missiles, Larijani Ashoura Speaker in Istanbul

Iranian Shura Council Speaker Ali Larijani assured Saturday before mourners in Istanbul that that “Ashoura is an enlivening movement for all Muslims and mankind”.

During his visit to Turkey, Larijani spoke in a ceremony for reviving the calamity of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, saying that “Muslims are more than ever in need for the lively motto of the Imam: If you have no belief in religion and are not afraid of death at least live a free life.”

Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Larijani as further saying that “traitor and disgraceful Zionists are mercilessly throwing different kinds of lethal bombs on the oppressed people of Gaza and the West sends its envoys to Israel instead of criticizing such brutalities.”

“The Zionist regime will face tougher days,” he stressed.

The Iranian Shura council speaker was in a visit to Istanbul for talks with Turkish officials.

He met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek and discussed with them regional developments as well as the latest Israeli-Palestinian war.

After his visit, Larijani stated Iran’s rejection to Turkey’s plans to deploy Patriot defensive missiles near its border with Syria, considering that this “would intensify the region’s problems.”

“The installation of such systems in the region has negative effects and will intensify problems in the region,” IRNA quoted Larijani as saying after his regional visit.

In this context, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told ISNA Sunday that “deploying the Patriot system will not only not help solve the situation in Syria, it would rather make the situation more difficult and complicated”.

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told CNN Turk Sunday that “the Patriot systems are solely defensive mechanisms, and will not become active unless there is a direct threat to our country’s security.”

“Their aim is to protect Turkey’s borders as much as possible at time of crisis. The Patriots will be removed when the risks on Turkey’s security end,” he added.