Tehran expects President Erdoğan to visit Iran soon

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Behram Ghasemi said recently that Tehran expects President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to visit the Iranian capital, adding that Turkish-Iranian military cooperation will continue in the future.Speaking at a weekly press conference, Ghasemi said that Iran wants to host Erdoğan to further enhance cooperation between the two countries, saying: "We expect President Erdoğan to visit Tehran. We will announce it by the time the visit date is finalized."

Ghasemi stressed that Iranian Chief of Staff Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri's visit turned a new page in relations between Ankara and Tehran, adding that the recent military rapprochement between the two countries will continue further. "Bagheri's visit, which took place for the first time after the Iranian Islamic revolution brought about the beginning of a new phase between the two countries," Ghasemi said.

Bagheri visited Ankara for three days earlier in August and held talks with Erdoğan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli. Following Bagheri's visit, Erdoğan said on Aug. 21 that joint military cooperation with Iran on fighting the PKK is always on the agenda, adding: "There is damage that the PKK and its branch in Iran cause. We will carry out these discussions with the understanding that the threats can be defeated with the cooperation of both countries in a short time."

The visit was considered a milestone in Turkish-Iranian relations, as the military chiefs of the two countries had not visited each other since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Consultation and cooperation on various military and regional issues were primary topics during the visit.