(ISNA)
How’s this for hope and change?
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met today to discuss strengthening ties between the two Islamic nations.
Iranian Fars News reported:
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday discussed bilateral ties and cooperation between the two states and exchanged views over regional and international issues.
At the meeting held on the sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the two officials expressed preparedness to bolster ties and cooperation between the two Muslim neighboring nations in all bilateral, regional and international fields.
Ahmadinejad voiced pleasure over the growing trend of the two states’ mutual cooperation.
He further noted the last week raid on an international aid convoy heading for the Gaza Strip, and expressed his deep regret over the massacre of a group of Turkish nationals in the incident.
20 international human rights activists, including 9 Turkish nationals were killed by the Israeli soldiers in the last Monday incident. Some members of the European parliaments, former western diplomats, reporters and human rights activists were among other victims of Israel’s brutal act.
According to witnesses, over 100 Israeli commandos supported by military choppers boarded a Turkish ship that was leading the six-ship convoy in international waters. 80 activists were also wounded in the incident while scores more were arrested and detained by the Israeli regime.
Also during the meeting in Turkey, Erdogan praised Tehran’s key role in the settlement of regional problems, and thanked Iran’s active participation in the two-day CICA conference.