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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was in Tehran on Sunday for a meeting with his counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Fidan underscored the need to boost cooperation between Türkiye and Iran in trade, energy and regional security during a media briefing in the Iranian capital.
On regional security, Fidan said both countries view “Israel as the biggest threat to stability in the Middle East,” citing concerns over Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and broader Israeli expansionist policies.
“The international community must fulfill its responsibilities,” he said.
Fidan also reaffirmed Ankara’s support for Tehran during ongoing nuclear negotiations and called for the lifting of “unrighteous” sanctions. “Iran must resolve its issues on the basis of international law,” he stated.
He also reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to supporting peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine.
“Trade and energy are top priorities, and we saw again today there is much more to be done,” Fidan said alongside Araghchi, noting the countries’ long-standing coordination between Türkiye and Iran.
He said the sides had agreed to improve border efficiency, increase the number of border gates, and implement logistics and transportation projects.
“Our countries have large populations, close relations and high trade, but our trade needs to be more efficient,” Fidan said during his fourth visit to Tehran as foreign minister.
The officials also discussed efforts to address irregular migration, particularly from Afghanistan.
“We aim to tackle this issue together with Iran,” said Fidan, adding that concrete cooperation is needed in the region.
The Turkish top diplomat welcomed Iran’s plan to open a new consulate in the eastern Turkish province of Van and pledged to attend the opening ceremony if his Iranian counterpart is also present.
The two foreign ministers also agreed to hold the 9th Türkiye-Iran High-Level Cooperation Council meeting soon at the presidential level.
Araghchi said at the press conference that Iran and Türkiye share a relationship that goes beyond mere neighborliness, referring to them as “two friends and brothers with a great many commonalities.”
He confirmed that preparations for the Supreme Council of Cooperation (SCC), to be chaired by the presidents of both nations, were discussed, expressing hope that the meeting will take place soon in Tehran. On economic ties, Araghchi noted that while trade between the two countries is growing, it is still short of the intended goal. He outlined several key initiatives to accelerate cooperation: Iran affirmed its readiness to extend the gas contract with Türkiye and expand overall energy cooperation.
Iran’s top diplomat also stressed the urgency of connecting Iranian and Turkish railway lines and expressed hope for construction to begin promptly. He also announced Iran’s readiness to activate new border crossings.
On regional issues, Araghchi confirmed that the situation in Palestine was a major topic of negotiation. He echoed Fidan’s statements: “The attacks by the Zionist regime on Syria and Lebanon show that the Zionist regime has larger plans for the region, and the biggest source of threat to Syria is the Zionist regime and its occupation.”
The minister also expressed support for terror-free Türkiye initiative which involves disarmament of the PKK terrorist group. The PKK has also been active in Iran through its local wing PJAK in the past.
