Turkey warned Iran “in a frank and friendly way” against blaming Ankara for ferocity in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated on Wednesday, a day after holding talks with his Iranian counterpart.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi took flight to neighbouring Turkey on Tuesday looking for mending a relationship painfully constrained by the Syrian arising and to assure Turkish help for forty-eight Iranians snatched in Syria on Saturday.
Turkey was censed by comments this week by Iran’s top general Hassan Firouzabadi, in which he charged Turkey for the bloodshed in Syria and charged Ankara, alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar, of assisting the “war-raging goals of America.”
“Such affirmations have the potential to damage Iran as well,” Davutoğlu told reporters at Ankara airport before departing on a visit to Myanmar.
Though the comments weren’t made by Iran’s leaders, they were made by individuals holding official posts, he told.
“We’d anticipate these officials, both in Turkey and Iran, to think a few times before making any comments. Our position on the issue was explained to Mr Salehi in a frank and friendly manner,” Davutoglu added.
Blaming Turkey or others would be of no benefit for any country, he told.
The once close ties between the Middle East’s 2 non-Arab powers have been blasted by events in Syria. Turkey has called for President Bashar al-Assad quit, but Iran abides his suppression of an arising Tehran tells is backed up by regional and Western enemies.
Davutoğlu told Salehi Turkey would attempt to assist free the 48 Iranians captured by rebels on the road from Damascus airport on Saturday.
