Turkish, Iranian parliament speakers meet in Tehran

TEHRAN-Anadolu Agency

Turkish Parliament Speaker Binali Yıldırım on Dec. 7 met his Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani in capital Tehran.

Yıldırım is currently in Tehran on an official visit to attend the "Meeting of the Parliament Speakers on Combating Terrorism and Extremism."

Prior to the closed-door meeting of the parliament speakers, Yıldırım said Turkey and Iran are neighbors and "brothers" since centuries.

"If Iran is in trouble, we acknowledge it as our own. Your joy is our joy as well," Yıldırım said.

Turkish Premier also condemned attack in Iran's southeastern city of Chabahar on Dec. 6 which killed at least two people and wounded 27 others, as well as expressed his condolences to those affected from an attack.

Larijani, for his part, thanked Yıldırım for accepting his invitation and stressed the success of the 11th plenary session of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) held between Nov. 28 and Dec. 3 in Istanbul.

Larijani said they had an opportunity to evaluate the regional issues in the plenary session.

He also pointed out that the relations between the two countries strengthened during Yildirim's prime ministry period.

Yıldırım also met with Leonid Slutsky, head of Russian State Duma's committee on international affairs.

Yıldırım will also deliver a speech at the second "Meeting of the Parliament Speakers on Combating Terrorism and Extremism" along with the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the parliament speakers of Iran, Russia, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Dec. 8.

The Turkish parliament speaker has recently visited Kyrgyzstan and China where he met a number of officials.