Turkey, Iran agree to up ties as Erdoğan, Raisi meet at ECO summit
A handout photo made available by Turkish Presidential Press office shows Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (R), Presidents of Iran Ebrahim Raisi (2-L), Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (L), Pakistani President Arif Alvi (2-R) chat at 15th Summit of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 28, 2021. (EPA via Turkish Presidency)


Turkey and Iran signed an agreement to comprehensively improve relations in a meeting at the 15th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit held in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Twitter that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also agreed to convene a high commission meeting during Erdoğan's next visit to Iran's capital Tehran.

Describing relations between the two countries as "historic," Abdollahian said "it was agreed to talk about the comprehensive improvement of relations and the removal of some obstacles."

Raisi and Erdoğan held a closed-door meeting as part of the summit.

In October, the interior ministers of Turkey and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding designed to prevent terrorism and illegal activities the countries face, particularly along their borders.

The two countries are part of the Astana process, which was initiated by Turkey, Iran and Russia to bring the warring sides in Syria together to find a permanent solution to the decadelong war.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Ambassador to Ankara Muhammad Farazmand recently said Iran supports Erdoğan’s initiative to establish a 3+3 peace mechanism in the Caucasus region.

The ambassador said Iran welcomes the initiative brought up by Erdoğan in November 2020.