Iran's Raisi due in Ankara, regional issues top agenda

ANKARA

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to visit Ankara tomorrow at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a bid to address pressing regional issues.

While the meeting is expected to focus on various matters, the war in Gaza remains a key agenda item, reflecting the shared concerns of both nations.

Iran, like Türkiye, has been vocal on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, expressing support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The latter group has targeted vessels in the Red Sea, particularly those delivering goods to Israel, in response to Israeli aggression in Palestinian territories.

The discussions are also anticipated to touch upon the South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform. The international body's first foreign ministerial-level meeting, held in Tehran last October, saw the participation of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, alongside host Iran. The next meeting is slated to take place in Türkiye this year.

As the neighboring nations share a 560-kilometer border, Türkiye is set to reiterate its expectation for Iran to actively engage in the joint fight against terrorist organizations, notably the PKK and its Iranian wing, PJAK, according to local media.

In addition, the eighth meeting of the high-level cooperation council between the two countries is scheduled. The council, established in 2014, last convened in Tehran on July 19, 2022, and aims to enhance collaboration across various sectors.

The existing trade volume between Türkiye and Iran stands at around $6 billion, with a future target set at $30 billion. Iran's delegation – including ministers of foreign affairs, roads and urban development, trade, petroleum, electricity and energy, interior and defense – is expected to participate in discussions aimed at strengthening economic ties, reports say.

While the two nations already share three border crossings, discussions may involve the possibility of opening new crossings in the city of Van, subject to approval from the Iranian side. Türkiye will also push for the abolition of the fuel price differential imposed on its transporters from Central Asia transiting through Iran, a matter currently under negotiation, wrote daily Milliyet.

Raisi failed to appear at a summit in the capital Ankara on Nov. 28, 2023, an event that Erdoğan previously announced during his return flight from a summit among regional leaders in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Nov. 11, 2023, where Raisi was also in attendance. Tehran itself never officially confirmed the visit.

The Turkish presidency has not clarified whether the visit has been canceled or postponed. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Raisi's visit had been "postponed," offering no explanation.

The two presidents and the countries' top diplomats had phone conversations last month focused on the ongoing war in Gaza.