Iranian diplomat summoned to Turkish FM

Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Bahman Hosseinpour was summoned yesterday to the Turkish Foreign Ministry to explain Iranian officials' criticism about Ankara, the Zaman newspaper quotes Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as saying.

Davutoglu added that he contacted Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi to express his concern over some Iranian officials' statements about Turkey's position on the Syrian issue, in particular, accusing Ankara of acting at the command of the United States.

Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has criticized a recent conference of the Friends of Syria held in Turkey. The head of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Aladdin Boroujerdi also sharply criticized Ankara. Some Iranian officials have also opposed holding the next round of negotiations between Tehran and "six" on Iran's nuclear program in Istanbul.

According to Davutoglu, Salehi assured him that Iranian officials' comments disturbing the Turkish side does not reflect Tehran's official policy.


/Trend/