Tehran, Ankara vow closer ties

TEHRAN: Regional powers Iran and Turkey on Monday expressed a willingness to step up ties, as Ankara’s foreign minister visited.

The neighbours have historically close economic relations but occasionally find themselves on opposite sides of regional conflicts, including in Syria. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi after talks with his counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The two sides "should be ready to increase their relations from the current level to an overall cooperation," a statement from Iran’s presidency said. This should be done "by finalising the roadmap for strengthening collaborations, which is on the agenda of both countries," it said.