Turkish Parliament speaker meets with Iranian President Rouhani

ANKARA– Anadolu Agency

Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek (L) hold talks with President Hassan Rouhani (R). DHA photo

Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek met with newly-elected President Hassan Rouhani and head of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani on the second day of his visit to Iran.

The meetings were closed to the press, however Çiçek reportedly discussed Syria and regional topics in both of the meetings with the Iranian officials.

Çiçek is also expected to meet with Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei soon. 

Çiçek held his first official meeting with his counterpart Ali Larijani during a dinner on Sept. 21.

Ahead of UN meetings

The visit comes as Rouhani is expected to travel to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly, amid signs of a thaw over its nuclear program and the Syrian issue.

Çiçek was also expected to visit the Turkish Yunus Emre Cultural Center, before proceeding to the Iranian city of Shiraz on Sept. 23.

Çiçek is currently on a three-day official visit to neighboring Iran. Accompanied by a parliamentary delegation, Çiçek departed for Tehran on Sept. 21, Anadolu Agency reported.

After wrapping up their contacts in Tehran, Çiçek and the accompanying delegation will proceed to the city of Shiraz on Sept. 23, ahead of their return to Turkey.