Iran, Turkey Slam US Sanctions

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the 5th meeting of high council for Iran-Turkey strategic cooperation, held in Ankara on Thursday.

In the statement, the two leaders stressed the need to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which they hailed as a remarkable achievement of diplomacy for settling conflicts that has been endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

They also deplored the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and Washington’s unilateral and unfair sanctions against Iran, expressing concern that the sanctions have harmed innocent people and obstructed regional trade, welfare and stability.

The joint statement also reiterated Iran and Turkey’s support for Syria’s territorial integrity, political unity and national sovereignty, and stressed that the crisis in the Arab country has political solutions only.

Stressing the need for joint action against terrorism and extremism in Syria, the statement reaffirmed the two sides’ commitment to combatting terrorist groups along the common border and fighting against organized crimes.

The two president also emphasized the necessity for efforts to elevate the volume of Iran-Turkey bilateral trade to $30 billion.

Heading a high-ranking political and economic delegation, the Iranian president travelled to the neighboring country on Wednesday at the invitation of Erdogan.

Senior officials from the two sides signed two memorandums of understanding on Thursday.

Iran and Turkey have ramped up efforts in recent years to boost bilateral trade, setting a $30-billion annual trade target and signing several agreements to enhance cooperation in various areas.

Turkey is one of Iran’s major trading partners in the region.