Iran, Turkey to increase regional cooperation

Iranian Chief of General Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri arrived in Ankara with a high-level military delegation of nine people, including his close working team. In the first high-leveled official visit from Tehran since 1979, which Iran's official IRNA news agency described as “unprecented” in Iran-Turkey relations, counterterrorism and border security was discussed, along with the negative effects the developments in the region had on the two countries at the presidential palace in Ankara.

Visiting Turkey for three days following an invitation from his Turkish counterpart Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, Bagheri on Wednesday met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of National Defense Nurettin Canikli and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan. During Erdoğan’s reception of Bagheri, low-level meetings were held with military and political representatives from the Iranian delegation at the Presidential Complex.

The meetings with the Iranian delegation addressed the cooperation between the two critical countries in ensuring the security in the Arab geography and the Middle East. The meetings held in the presence of military missions focused on the developments in Syria and Idlib, and the recent affairs between the Gulf states which occurred after Muqtada al-Sadr’s communication.

The concern arising from Iran’s steps in Iraq, where the Hashd al-Shaabi terrorist organization has been made a part of the national army in Iraq, will be discussed. Additionally, the possible effects of a referendum in the region expected to be held in the Iraqi Kurdish regional government will be addressed. It has been reported that Iran is concerned about the region following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu statement that his government supports the independence referendum in Iraq.

Bagheri arrived in Turkey with a military delegation of nine Iranian generals, including the Deputy Chief of General Staff, IRGC Ground Force Commander, Commander of Border Guards, Deputy Chief of Iran General Staff Intelligence Department, and Operations Department. The three-day visit by the high-ranked Iranian military and political delegation indicates that Iran pays attention to the cooperation with Turkey against any threat to Tehran’s security in the aftermath of the recent developments in the region.