Category: Iran

Salehi: Iran, Turkey enjoy brotherly relations

Salehi: Iran, Turkey enjoy brotherly relations

Ankara, Dec 14, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday that Iran and Turkey are the two friendly nations which are complementary to each other.

Salehi: Iran, Turkey enjoy brotherly relations

He told Anatolia news agency that the Islamic Republic of Iran regards Turkey as a brotherly nation with deep rooted friendship.

Salehi said that Iran’s stance on international issues and its formal diplomacy are declared by the Supreme Leader, the President or the foreign minister and that other views being declared by different individuals are their personal opinion.

He drew attention of the Turkish media to make distinction between Iran’s formal diplomacy vis-a-vis Turkey and the personal views of different individuals.

The foreign minister said that certain individuals in Turkey are highlighting misunderstanding between the two nations.

‘I advise certain individuals in Turkey not to give opportunity to the enemies of the two nations to magnify disagreements.’

Salehi said that several journalists writing commentaries in the Turkish press are reflecting exactly the views of the western governments and some others embark on commenting on Tehran-Ankara relations without having full knowledge about historical amity between the two nations.

He said that the western governments are making every endeavor to sow discord between the two nations and they introduce Iran and Turkey as rivals, whereas, the two governments have common objectives in the international affairs.

Salehi acknowledged that certain individuals in Iran who are outside the governing system express critical views about Turkey and said that the Foreign Ministry has protested to them over their irresponsible remarks.

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via Salehi: Iran, Turkey enjoy brotherly relations.

December 15, 2011
Iran will definitely strike Turkey if attacked

‘Iran will definitely strike Turkey if attacked’

By JPOST.COM STAFF

12/12/2011 10:30

Iranian official reiterates anger over Turkish agreement to house NATO facilities, threatens “grave consequences.”

An Iranian security official said that Iran would “definitely” strike NATO positions in Turkey if it were attacked, according to a Monday report by the Turkish daily Hurriyet.

“We are closely monitoring the relations with Turkey in the National Security Commission of the parliament. Iran has warned Turkey before that the deployment of the system will have grave consequences.” said Hossein Ibrahimi, vice-chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission.

Ibrahimi also referenced a similar threat made at the end of November by Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace division. “General Hajizadeh’s remarks are entirely true and when we are attacked, it is our natural right to defend ourselves,” Hurriyet quoted Ibrahimi as saying.

Tehran has made clear its displeasure at Turkey’s September decision to deploy a NATO missile early warning system, which Iran sees as a US ploy to protect Israel from any counter-attack should the Jewish state target Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Once-warm relations between Iran and Turkey have been strained this year due to the missile shield and Ankara’s outspoken criticism of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s violent crackdown on popular unrest.

Turkey and Iran, the Middle East’s two major non-Arab Muslim states, are vying for influence in the post-Arab Spring region and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s military adviser accused Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of setting its foreign policy to please Washington.

Reuters contributed to this report

via ‘Iran will definitely strike Turkey if att… JPost – Middle East.

December 13, 2011
US Drone Lost Over Iran Was On CIA Operation

The US military has said a missing unmanned spyplane was involved in a joint CIA military operation on Afghanistan’s border with Iran.

The Pentagon has admitted the RQ 170 Sentinel drone is lost somewhere in Iran.

But the US disputes Iranian claims to have shot down the state-of-the-art spy aircraft.

An unverified report on Iranian state radio has claimed that the US drone was flying deep inside the country’s airspace, over the eastern town of Kashmar, some 140 miles (225km) from the Afghan border.

News of the CIA involvement is causing controversy in Washington.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich told Sky News the involvement of America’s spy agency was a worrying development.

“We have to be very careful that we don’t stumble into a wider war here. If we are in Iran’s airspace with anything that belongs to the US, that’s a provocation,” he said.

The revelation coincides with speculation that a covert war is being waged in Iran by America and Israel to thwart Iranian nuclear ambitions.

A series of events remain unexplained. Iranian scientists have been assassinated, including one case where a man was killed by a bomb strapped to his vehicle by a hit team on a motorbike.

A huge explosion at a top secret missile base in the Iranian desert appears to have killed the lead scientist on missile development.

Mr Kucinich said he is worried these events mean the region is sliding towards greater conflict.

“The events have been confirmed, so when you start to connect the dots, those dots start to spell the word war,” he said.

The US has justified the use of drones in Afghan airspace as necessary to keep watch over American forces, but CIA involvement seems to confirm their use to gather intelligence beyond the border with Iran.

The Sentinel drone, thought to be 65ft in wingspan, is one of the world’s most secret aircraft. Packed with surveillance electronics, it is capable of staying in the air for days.

December 11, 2011
Materials likely destined for Iran nuclear program seized (video)

Turkey is determined to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon, Namik Tan, Turkey’s ambassador to the US, said Thursday. It intercepted materials Iran might have used to advance its nuclear program, he says.

By Howard LaFranchi, Staff writer / December 8, 2011

Turkish Ambassador to the US Namik Tan spoke to reporters at a Monitor-hosted breakfast on Thursday in Washington, D.C.

Michael Bonfigli /The Christian Science Monitor

Turkey has intercepted materials destined for Iran that could have been used to advance Tehran’s nuclear program, Turkey’s ambassador to Washington said Thursday.

The Turkish official, Namik Tan, said Turkey, as Iran’s neighbor, is perhaps more determined than other more distant countries to keep Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon, and he suggested that Turkish-Iranian relations are deteriorating over the nuclear issue.

“Some other countries have tried to transfer certain goods which would help Iran’s nuclear program, and we have stopped them,” Ambassador Tan said at a Monitor breakfast gathering of reporters.

Tan refused to divulge any other information about the interception, including what the materials were, when it happened, and the country of origin, but he insisted that Turkey would never accept the existence of a nuclear bomb next door in Iran. Alluding to one line of thinking in Washington – that the international community will ultimately fail to stop Tehran’s progress and so the real objective becomes containing a nuclear Iran – Tan said Turkey would never resign itself to an Iranian bomb.

“Even if you come to terms with a nuclear Iran, we will be against it,” he said.

Turkish officials this year have acknowledged intercepting Iranian planes and trucks suspected of transporting arms to Syria, but US officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about Turkey serving as a conduit for Iran to procure equipment for its nuclar program – especially with bilateral trade soaring.

Ankara’s representative to Washington also confirmed that the Turkish government is seeking military equipment including drones from Washington, as part of an effort to enhance its border defenses.

Turkey’s robust trade relations with Iran have been hurt recently by actions on the Iranian side, Tan suggested. That comment comes amid a boom in Turkish-Iranian trade, but also in the aftermath of recent warnings out of Tehran that did not go down well in Ankara.

Tehran recently warned Turkey that bilateral trade will suffer if Turkey does not alter a number of its policies, including what Iran sees as Turkish obedience to US demands. Trade between the two nations, at $10 billion in 2010, is estimated to reach $30 billion by 2016 absent any setback in relations.

via Turkey: Materials likely destined for Iran nuclear program seized (video) – CSMonitor.com.

December 10, 2011
Iran, Turkey to expand consular ties

TEHRAN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) — Iran and Turkey signed a cooperation agreement to increase the level of consular interactions, the English language satellite Press TV reported on Tuesday.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Iranian Expatriates’ Affairs, Hassan Qashqavi, and the visiting Turkish deputy foreign minister for consular affairs, Naji Koru, inked the accord in Tehran on Monday, said the report.

The agreement is comprised of 16 articles, each stipulating an element of cooperation in different consular matters and related affairs.

Both sides agreed to remove problems related to immigration and residency in Iran and Turkey, to provide security for both countries’ nationals, to work on police cooperation, academic cooperation and increase of bilateral trade transactions, according to Press TV.

On Saturday, Koru and his accompanying delegation held a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi, where they called for strengthening mutual relations in all spheres.

Editor: Bi Mingxin

via Iran, Turkey to expand consular ties.

December 5, 2011
Ankara wants a fair dialogue between the West, Iran

Ankara wants a fair dialogue between the West, Iran

Article | December 4, 2011 – 5:24pm

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul speaks during a press conference, 22 November 2011. |EPA/DAN KITWOOD POOL

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that one need to understand the reasons which is prompting Iran to continue with its suspected nuclear a programme despite the sanctions which gravely affected the Iran’s’ economy, Zaman reported. “It is important to put oneself in their shoes and see how they perceive threats,” he said. He stressed it is not wise to view all the different groups and concentrations of power in Iran as a single entity, but refused to disclose the elements in Iran he was referring. He was commenting on a International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran’s nuclear programme which claimed that Iran is preparing to develop nuclear weapon capability.

A year ago, Turkey made several efforts to revive nuclear diplomacy between Iran and western nations. Turkey hosted Iran’s nuclear program in Istanbul which severely affected its image in the west and also strained ties with US. According to Gul, a frank and transparent dialogue between Iran and the western powers is necessary to ensure peace. “When I say transparent I mean Iran, and when I say frank I mean the West,” he explained. Gul added that Turkey is opposed to military options for dealing with the issue amid increasing threats from Israeli officials that it could strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if the Islamic republic does not relinquish its nuclear program. “Looking at the Middle East, one has to have a comprehensive approach to disarmament,” he added. Few weeks back, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the country strongly oppose nuclear weapons in the Middle East as there are already enough tensions in the region. Citing this situation, he said that Iran will act in a wise and responsible manner. Meantime, speaking about Syria Gul said that the country is now at a dead end. Citing UN estimates, he said that 3,500 people have been due to the eight months of unrest in Syria.

via Ankara wants a fair dialogue between the West, Iran | New Europe.

December 5, 2011