President Rouhani: Iran, Turkey Should Work Out Joint Plan to Uproot Terrorism in Region

“Iran and Turkey should work out a joint plan and practical solution to uproot terrorism in the region,” Rouhani said during the phone talks on Wednesday.

He voiced regret about regional insecurities and the terrorist groups’ destructive role in this regard, and said, “Such developments and the regional situation, necessitate expansion of consultations between Iran and Turkey.”

Erdogan, for his part, underlined the necessity for terminating instability, insecurity and conflicts in the region, and said, “Fighting against terrorism and extremism, specially the ISIL terrorist group, through mutual cooperation is necessary.”

Turkey has been criticized in recent years for its support for the ISIL terrorists in Syria and the fury increased inside the country after it was revealed that the suicide bomber who killed at least 32 people at a cultural center in Southeastern Turkey in July was identified as a Turkish citizen who is believed to have had ties to the ISIL.

After the suicide blast, Turkish fighter jets bombed the ISIL positions in neighboring Syria.

In relevant remarks in July, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office for Political Affairs Hamid Aboutalebi referred to Turkey’s airstrikes against the ISIL positions in Syria, and said the Arab states which support the terrorist group should take a lesson from Ankara.

“The ISIL is a threat to Turkey’s national security and the dimensions of this threat are expanding every day,” Aboutalebi wrote on his tweeter page.

Voicing regret that certain Arab countries are supporting the ISIL, he said, “If they don’t learn their lesson from Turkey, they will be forced to fight terrorism in their capitals.”

“Terrorism is not a puppet to be played the way you want; playing with fire ends in fire.”