Live
Audio Only
Just days after the failed coup against his government, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani that Ankara was ready to enhance bilateral ties with both Moscow and Tehran while also pushing for regional stability.
RELATED:
Main Turkish General in Coup Served as Army's Attache in Israel
"Today, we are determined more than ever before to contribute to the solution of regional problems hand in hand with Iran and Russia and in cooperation with them," the Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Erdogan as saying during a telephone conversation Monday.
"At present, the situation is getting back to normal but it's too early to say that everything is over," Erdogan added.
Meanwhile, Rouhani expressed his support for the Turkish president against the coup attempt while highlighting the courage and political maturity of the Turkish people who he said rejected the coup to oust the democratically-elected government.
"Stability and tranquility in Turkey have a positive impact on the atmosphere in the whole region. We have no doubt that tranquility in the Islamic world countries does not suit terrorists and some superpowers," the Iranian president stressed.
RELATED:
As Smoke Clears from Turkey Coup, a Search for Answers
Ties between Turkey and Russia reached an all-time low after the Turkish army downed a Russian jet over the border between Turkey and Syria earlier this year. Ankara, unlike Moscow and Tehran, is against Syrian President Bashar Assad and was the first capital to call for his removal in 2011.
Erdogan has accused former ally turned arch-enemy, U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, of orchestrating the coup which has resulted in at least 265 deaths, more than 1,000 injuries and 6,000 arrests.
The government, now empowered by a state-of-emergency after the coup, have launched a major purge within several state institutions including the army, police, judiciary and most recently the education sector.
Newsletter
