Iran, Turkey share views on fighting terrorism: Erdogan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Iran and Turkey share similar approaches towards fighting terrorism in the Middle East.

In a Wednesday news conference with Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri in Tehran, Erdogan said Iran and Turkey can have “constructive” cooperation in fighting terrorism in the region as the two neighboring nations share close views on the matter.

The Turkish premier also called for closer economic relations between Tehran and Ankara, stressing that his country is in need of Iran’s energy resources, including natural gas.

Jahangiri, for his part, hailed “friendly” and “historical” ties between the Iranian and Turkish nations, saying Tehran and Ankara enjoy “vast grounds” for the expansion of bilateral cooperation.

The Iranian first vice president further stated that Tehran and Ankara have agreed to increase their trade volume to 30 billion dollars by 2015.

The two sides have already signed several memoranda of understanding to bolster Iran-Turkey economic ties.

He also pointed to the nuclear deal signed between Iran and the six world powers – Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany — last November, saying the execution of the Geneva accord has paved the way for the enhancement of Tehran-Ankara ties in different areas.

The Turkish premier arrived in Tehran on Tuesday at the head of a high-ranking delegation to discuss key bilateral and regional issues with senior Iranian officials including Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

The Turkish prime minister is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci.