Turkey ready to intermediate in Iran-Saudi crisis

ANKARA

Turkey is ready to try to resolve the differences between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday.

Turkey was “ready to make every effort to remedy the problems between the two countries” in the face of tensions that have the “potential to deepen the existing problems in our region,” Cavusoglu told a conference of ambassadors in Ankara.

He added: “The region needs reconciliation and cooperation, not new conflicts.”

Friction between the regional rivals was heightened more than a week ago when Saudi Arabia’s execution of a leading Shia cleric sparked protests in Iran that led to the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

Cavusoglu said Turkey was working to improve relations with Iran but noted that Ankara and Tehran viewed regional issues from different perspectives.

Turkey has closer ties to Saudi Arabia, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paying a visit to the country shortly before the latest outbreak of diplomatic hostilities. During the visit the countries agreed to establish a “High Level Strategic Cooperation Council”, Cavusoglu said.

Cavusoglu encouraged Iran “to follow more constructive policies” particularly in Syria, where Tehran supports the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The minister highlighted Turkey’s hosting of two major summits in May - the UN’s World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul and a gathering of leaders from developing nations in Antalya.