Ankara expresses its radar unease to Tehran

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi (L) smiles alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during a press conference in this photo. AFP photo

Ankara conveyed its unease to Tehran over the remarks of Gen. Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the aerospace unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who warned last week that Iran would target NATO missile defense installations in Turkey’s Malatya province if the U.S. or Israel attacked.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu conveyed to his Iranian counterpart Turkey’s disturbance over recent Iranian threats to attack installations in Turkey when the two met in Jeddah on Nov. 30.

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said the air force commander’s remarks did not reflect Tehran’s official position, a diplomatic source said.

Davutoğlu and Salehi met on the sidelines of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ministerial meeting that focused on developments in Syria.

The two foreign ministers discussed Syria particularly and Davutoğlu reaffirmed Turkey’s stance on Syria, the source said.

Iranian officials have long criticized Ankara for deploying a U.S.-led NATO early warning radar system in its territories, but it was the first time a high ranking military official from Iran warned of a military act against Turkey.