Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the collapse of Daesh terrorist group is a great achievement for Iran, Turkey and Russia, urging more cooperation to counter moves against regional security.
“The reality is that cooperation among Iran, Turkey and Russia was positive,” Larijani said in a meeting with Speaker of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly İsmail Kahraman in Istanbul on Tuesday.
“However, terrorism has not ended in the region yet and some anti-security measures are being conducted. So, Iran and Turkey should continue their cooperation,” he added.
He added that some extra-regional countries played a clear role in creating the Daesh terrorist group while certain regional states also made mistakes “but Iran and Turkey recognized their responsibilities in this regard.”
Backed by popular groups and Iranian military advisors, armed forces in Iraq and Syria have managed to flush Daesh militants out of their last strongholds in both countries, declaring full victory over the notorious terror group.
The recapture of the two cities marked an end to Daesh’s reign of terror, which started in 2014 with the group making vast territorial gains in a lightning offensive and establishing its self-proclaimed “caliphate” in the Iraqi city of Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqah.
The top Iranian parliamentarian also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between Iran and Turkey to maintain Iraq’s territorial integrity.
Heading a parliamentary delegation, Larijani arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday. During his three-day stay, the Iranian Parliament speaker is scheduled to deliver a speech at the 10th plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) and hold talks with his counterparts attending the event.
The Turkish parliament speaker, for his part, said Iran and Turkey are facing with common threats and added that dialogue can play a leading role in adopting a policy aimed at preserving territorial integrity and freedom of regional countries.
Kahraman added that Tehran and Ankara must reach consensus on ways to counter foreign powers that prevent close bilateral cooperation.