“Our President Stated Hamas is a Legitimate Organization” Says Turkish Ambassador to Iran

Relations between Iran and Türkiye, as two powerful neighbors in the Middle East, have experienced numerous ups and downs throughout their history. As a result of cultural, lingual and geographical commonalities, these two countries have had close relations with each other from the far past. However, besides the collaborations, there have always been competitions between the two countries. The two countries have not initiated any war against each other since the signing of the Treaty of Zuhab also called the Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin between Safavids of Iran and the Ottoman Empire on May 17, 1639. Also, after the precise marking of the borders of these two countries at the time of the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye (after the First World War and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918), the lengthy borders between the two countries have been in stable security. In recent years, the presidents of the two countries, regardless of the political rivalry in the region, have emphasized on boosting business relations but the existence of the U.S sanctions on Iran has become a formidable obstacle to strengthening the trade between the two countries. In January 2024, simultaneously with the 8th Meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Türkiye and Iran, the late Ebrahim Raisi and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, presidents of Iran and Türkiye agreed to try to reach the trade volume of 30 billion USD between the two countries. In order to review the political and economic relations between Iran and Türkiye after the death of President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as reviewing the trend of Türkiye’s revision in economic relations with Israel, we have conducted an interview with Prof. Hicabi KIRLANGIÇ, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Iran, which you can read below.

AVA Diplomatic’s Exclusive Interview with Prof. Hicabi KIRLANGIÇ

Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Iran

As the ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Iran, how do you assess the role and impact of the late Hossein Amirabdollahian’s actions in expanding the relations between the two countries?

First, I extend my condolences to the people of Iran and to the relatives and friends of the statesmen who lost their lives in a bitter accident while serving their people and I pray to God Almighty’s mercy for the esteemed president and foreign minister and their dear companions.

The late honorable Mr. Amirabdollahian made valuable contributions to expand friendly relations between the two countries. To this end, with the efforts of him and our Minister of Foreign Affairs, good steps have been taken. Also, the late dear Hossein Amirabdollahian made a determined effort to solve the problems of the region.

He was always a good role model in neighborhood diplomacy and his measures were always constructive and fruitful. As a matter of fact, he paved the way for the expansion of friendship and cooperation between neighboring and Islamic countries. I hope this way will always be kept open.

What was the importance of the visit of the late Mr. Ebrahim Raisi, the former president of Iran, to Türkiye in the relations between the two countries? Considering the regional and international developments, what achievements will that visit bring for the two countries?

Mr. Raisi’s visit on 24th of January 2024, which was with the aim of holding the 8th Meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Türkiye and Iran, reflected the deep historical and cultural ties between the two neighboring and brotherly countries. Considering the fact that during the aforementioned meeting, bilateral cooperation in many fields was put on the agenda and common approaches were adopted regarding regional and international developments, that was of great significance.

That meeting was a big help in boosting the existing relations and cooperation between Türkiye and Iran in many fields and exchanging viewpoints at a high level as well as adopting common approach between the two countries towards the issues related to the region, especially the miserable situation in Gaza and Israel’s inhuman attacks.

What is the importance of the recent agreement between the presidents of Iran and Türkiye in the field of fighting terrorism? In what areas are there security cooperation and the fight against terrorism between Iran and Türkiye? And how do you see the prospects of such cooperation?

Türkiye and Iran, which have been fighting the threat of terrorism over the years, are friendly countries aware of the importance of fighting terrorism and understand each other’s concerns in this regard. Within this framework, the two countries have adopted a common approach to fight terrorism threat, especially PKK, PYD, YPG and PJAK. Also, from the perspective of both countries, strengthening cooperation in this fight matters a lot.

The common approach and close cooperation between the two countries in respect of the fight against terrorism will play a significant role in securing the borders and people of the two countries. It will also have a positive effect on the cooperation between the two countries in many other fields.

When there is a terrorist attack in either of the two countries, Türkiye and Iran always support each other strongly. With reference to fighting trrorism, close contact and cooperation continues, especially about the reciprocal provision of border security and the exchange of information between security authorities. Our honorable president’s emphasis, in the meetings, on the importance of fighting terrorism and having solidarity in this regard, will promote the close security cooperation between the two countries.

Have new agreements and contracts been signed between the officials of the two countries during that visit?

During that visit, ten agreements and MOUs were signed by the relevant officials of the two countries in the presence of the esteemed presidents with the aim of developing and strengthening cooperation and joint activities in various fields.

What was the volume of trade between Iran and Türkiye in 2023?

The volume of trade between Türkiye and Iran was over 8.5 billion USD by the end of 2023.

What products have the largest share in the trade between the two countries?

Items such as corn, chemicals, medicine and other medical products, paper and cellulose products are at the top of Türkiye’s export list to Iran. On the other hand, half of our country’s imports from Iran are dedicated to natural gas. Then, there are aluminium and various petrochemical products in this list.

What are the obstacles to the development of economic relations between the two countries?

Our country, from the beginning, has expressed its opposition to unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran. By considering the point that all of our public and private institutions as well as our ministries are part of the global system, and due to the sanction, our companies are sensitive to issues related to this matter, especially issues such as money transfer. We wish for the termination of sanctions on Iran as soon as possible. In this way, our commercial goals shall be achieved faster.

In your view, what are the areas for increasing cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries?

In addition to being two neighboring countries with a rich culture, Türkiye and Iran have proven their power in the field of science at the regional level. The two countries that nowadays represent our common culture, are also promoting their joint activities in the scientific field. Recently, joint projects have been planned between the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) and the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran and Iranian and Turkish researchers have welcomed its calls. In the meantime, the constant increase for the registration of joint research projects indicates the capacity of joint cooperation between the researchers of the two countries.

It is worth mentioning here that so far, among the winners of the exquisite awards of the Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation (Mustafa Prize) which have been given to the efforts to advance technology in the Islamic world for the past several years, we see the names of four Turkish scholars. The busts of the winners are put up in a park in Tehran’s Pardis Technology Park which is a source of pride for us.

Finally in relation to this topic, we can point out the reciprocal meetings held between Turkish and Iranian technology companies with the aim of joint cooperation and development of mutual capacities.

How many Iranian students are now studying in Türkiye? What is the status of academic cooperation between the two countries?

At the moment, 22 thousand Iranian students are studying in Turkish universities. There are a large number of cooperation agreements between Turkish and Iranian universities. Within the framework of these agreements, universities hold joint events, carry out joint scientific research projects, and also exchange students and professors.

To point out one specific case, the University of Tehran, over the years, has signed cooperation agreements with nearly fifty universities in Türkiye. Non-governmental universities also have direct cooperation with one another. To give an example, Istanbul Aydın University and University Of Science and Culture of Tehran organize joint activities. Many researchers come to Iran for field studies and access to sources especially for subjects like history, literature and theology. Iranian students prefer Türkiye for their research in the fields of medicine and engineering.

Considering the significance of the water issue, what is the plan between Iran and Türkiye for joint cooperation about the water crisis?

We are in favor of close technical cooperation and constructive dialogue in issues such as drought and water problems as holding the “Water Committee” meetings between the two countries have started, and it has provided the opportunity for the relevant authorities of the two countries to examine the technical and legal aspects of this issue in detail.

Iran also held the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms on 9-10 September 2023. The participation of a delegation from Türkiye and the examination of the cross-border dimensions of the issue in this helpful conference was a reason for gratitude.

To decrease the tensions in the relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, what role can the two countries of Iran and Türkiye play?

Türkiye and Iran, as a result of having strong historical, geographical, cultural and human ties with the South Caucasus region, have been closely influenced by the developments of this region since long ago. Thus, both countries attach great importance to stability, tranquility and peace in this region. In this framework, the formation of 3+3 platform intending to reach a regional solution to the upcoming challenges in the South Caucasus, which beside Türkiye and Iran, includes the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan and Georgia, is the most tangible example of collaboration between Türkiye and Iran in relation to the region. Moreover, the successful meeting of the foreign ministers of 3+3 Regional Platform entitled “Time for Peace, Cooperation and Progress in South Caucasus” was held on 23 October 2023 in Tehran. There were inclusive discussions there in regard to regional developments. It is expected that the next meeting of this platform will be held in Türkiye.

Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of the Republic of Türkiye, announced in his speech that his country no longer has business ties with the Israeli regime, and also emphasized that Israel’s crimes against the people of Gaza should not be ignored. Will we see a change of manner in Israel-Türkiye relations?

Türkiye always has a positive stance about the Palestinian issue and in relation to supporting the Palestinian people. This is the same about the issue of Gaza. After October 7, our president stated that Hamas is the Palestinian national resistance and a legitimate organization that defends the people of Palestine. There is no doubt about it.

In order to help the people of Palestine and to prevent Israel’s brutal attacks, Türkiye has always negociated with Islamic countries in international organizations and  in the region, and has always tried to put an end to this massacre and genocide so that the people of Gaza can freely and independently live in their country with the capital of East Jerusalem and make their own decisions and be recognized by the international community. We have expressed this position from the beginning until now.

The new problem was that Israel blocked humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza and there was no possibility to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Türkiye warned that if it continues, we will take other measures.

Ultimately, we have decided to cut off all our business relations with Israel. Of course, there is something here; we had business relations with the Palestinian Muslim people who are Israeli citizens on paper and live in Jerusalem. Those relations were needed to meet the needs of the Palestinian Muslim people.

In the current situation of people of Gaza that the occupying government of Israel continues its massacre and does not stop the genocide, we made that decision and our president announced that from now on we will not have any business relations with Israel.

These ferocious crimes that tens of thousands innocent people including children, women and the elderly are being killed, and the world is just watching, is very sad. A more serious action should be taken.

Islamic countries should act more precisely and more committedly and come together. Unfortunately, only few Islamic countries feel responsibility and commitment in this case. Among these countries are Türkiye and Iran. We should strive and fight more for the innocent people of Palestine and Gaza. We should have political, social and diplomatic struggles.

Turkish officials are talking about cutting off economic relations with Israel, while according to some press reports, energy transfer terminals from Türkiye to Israel are active and transferring oil to Israel. What do you think of this?

I do not have exact information. Of course, this is not our fuel. I don’t know, maybe it is about international agreements whose provisions should be revised. I don’t know for sure but if it is so, that is an international issue needs to be reviewed.

Your Excellency said that the countries of the Islamic world should unite and stand against Israel’s invasion, while the Americans are after redefining the Abraham Accords. Do you consider it possible for Saudi Arabia and the United States to agree on the recognition of the existence of Palestine by Israel?

I am expressing my personal opinion that I have no hope. If a decision was to be made, it would have been made before. This issue is not in the interest of Palestine and I don’t think it can be done now. If this happens, it will be disadvantageous to the region.

If the protests in western societies like the U.S and European countries go on, another result would appear. Then, the western countries have to take another step in this regard. What we need to consider now is the position of Islamic countries. If we ourselves do not act more seriously in this field, the actions of other countries are not that much important. If this massacre and genocide took place somewhere else in the world, the situation would not be like this and everybody was trying to stop it. Unfortunately, I do not see any resourcefulness.