"The government and nation of Turkey has always clearly supported the nuclear positions of the Islamic republic of Iran, and will continue to firmly follow the same policy in the future," Erdogan said during the meeting in Tehran on Thursday.
For his part, Ahmadinejad praised Turkey for its "clear and frank" stance on the issue, saying Tehran and Ankara have historically propped up each other on global matters.
“Iran and Turkey have stood by each other on most of the international scenes and have always independently and seriously confronted the imperialism of Westerners and arrogant powers,” the Iranian president said.
“The arrogant powers never want countries like Iran and Turkey to progress and become powers on the global stage. Thus, we have to be vigilant in the face of their plots,” Ahmadinejad added.
During a Wednesday meeting with Iran's Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, Erdogan expressed his country’s readiness to improve ties with Tehran in all fields, particularly in economic and trade sectors.
No one should be allowed to harm the friendly ties between Iran and Turkey, he said.
The Turkish premier arrived in Iran’s capital of Tehran on Wednesday, heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation on an official two-day visit for talks with senior Iranian officials.
The US, Israel and some of their allies have accused Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.
The US and the EU have used this pretext to impose sanctions against Iran, while Tel Aviv has issued threats of a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Washington has repeatedly threatened Iran with “all options” on the table.
The Islamic Republic has strongly refuted Western allegations regarding its nuclear energy program, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful objectives.
pres tv/281
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has voiced his country's unwavering support for Iran’s nuclear energy program in a meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
News ID 181648
