Rouhani, Erdoğan talk bilateral ties in ECO summit

Iran’s Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have sat together to discuss bilateral ties amid recent differences over Syria, Mehr news agency reported.

ECO summit in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad was the venue for Mr. Rouhani to grasp the opportunity to meet Erdoğan. This is the highest ranking meeting between two regional rivals since the unsuccessful coup of July 2016 which sought to topple Turkish government.

Rouhani and Erdoğan discussed terrorism among the important topics of the meeting. The visit would be a turning point in bringing relations to a détente after Tehran-Ankara ties edged with distrust.

“All countries in the region should work in collaboration to decrease foreign powers’ presence and intervention as well as ending bloodshed,” Rouhani told the meeting.

Mr. Erdoğan for his part believed Iran and Turkey had been moving in a positive direction of détente; “Turkey is committed to raise its trade balance to $ 30bn with Iran, its eastern neighbor; I share the view that cooperation will serve both our nations. We also are in the same direction in the fight against terrorism along with addressing pressing issues of the Middle East,” said Turkish president.