PM becomes favorite of Iranians
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 21, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - A senior Iranian official echoed Tuesday’s statements from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s on Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and described Abbas as an ordinary person whose mission ended a week ago.
"Thank you for the statements from the Turkish people and authorities, especially Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest statements in Brussels," chairman of the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security of the Iranian Parliament, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said in a press conference yesterday in Ankara. He referred to the Turkish prime minister’s claims that Abbas was against the release of Hamas deputies from Israeli prisons.
Quoting an Israeli official without giving his name, Erdoğan stated that it was actually Abbas who pressed Israelis not to free elected Hamas deputies.
Boroujerdi said Abbas was an ordinary person whose offıce term ended a week ago, "We do not need to talk about ordinary people here."
He also said that Israel should be heard by international courts for violating human rights and war crimes in Gaza. "Defending their own land is the most legitimate interest of the people of Gaza.
Within this interest, controlling and restricting the entry and exit of weapons is an illogical act."
Boroujerdi pointed out Israel’s use of phosphorus bombs in Gaza and said the United Nations should prepare a report on it. He also thanked Turkey for its strict stance against the Israeli attacks.
Besides Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip, economic relations between Turkey and Iran were also on the agenda during Boroujerdi’s visit.
’Turkey and Iran relations are on the right track’
"Turkey-Iran relations are on the right track," Boroujerdi stated, adding that they aimed to double their trading volume, which is worth $10 billion dollars, through steps taken in the economic field. Biannual meetings will be held, where Turkish and Iranian chairmen of the Parliamentary Foreign Policy Committees meet, Boroujerdi announced. He met President Abdullah Gül, Parliamentary Speaker Köksal Toptan, Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Murat Mercan and other authorities during his visit. Relations between Turkey and Iran always become frictitious over the observance of protocol since the Iranians refuse to visit the tomb of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Quoting an Israeli official without giving his name, Erdoğan stated that it was actually Abbas who pressed Israelis not to free elected Hamas deputies.
Boroujerdi said Abbas was an ordinary person whose offıce term ended a week ago, "We do not need to talk about ordinary people here."
He also said that Israel should be heard by international courts for violating human rights and war crimes in Gaza. "Defending their own land is the most legitimate interest of the people of Gaza.
Within this interest, controlling and restricting the entry and exit of weapons is an illogical act."
Boroujerdi pointed out Israel’s use of phosphorus bombs in Gaza and said the United Nations should prepare a report on it. He also thanked Turkey for its strict stance against the Israeli attacks.
Besides Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip, economic relations between Turkey and Iran were also on the agenda during Boroujerdi’s visit.
’Turkey and Iran relations are on the right track’
"Turkey-Iran relations are on the right track," Boroujerdi stated, adding that they aimed to double their trading volume, which is worth $10 billion dollars, through steps taken in the economic field. Biannual meetings will be held, where Turkish and Iranian chairmen of the Parliamentary Foreign Policy Committees meet, Boroujerdi announced. He met President Abdullah Gül, Parliamentary Speaker Köksal Toptan, Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Murat Mercan and other authorities during his visit. Relations between Turkey and Iran always become frictitious over the observance of protocol since the Iranians refuse to visit the tomb of Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.