The Cradle, January 25, 2024 —The presidents of Iran and Turkiye inked 10 cooperation agreements on 24 January aimed at boosting investments and developing economic and regional cooperation, especially in Gaza-specific cases.
“We have not terminated and will not terminate our economic and trade relations with our neighbor Iran due to sanctions,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said following the signing ceremony.
The two countries agreed to boost trade exchanges by $30 billion annually.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi voiced satisfaction with efforts to remove obstacles placed by the west to hinder economic collaboration between Iran and other nations. He also expressed his hopes that businessmen from Tehran and Ankara will be capable of creating a “turning point in the mutual trade and economic ties.”
The two heads of state also made comments on the crisis in Palestine.
“The people of Gaza have become the victims of an atrocity that will go down in human history with shame,” Erdogan said. “We have seen the real faces of those who have been teaching the world about human rights and democracy for decades together in this process.”
He noted that Turkiye has shipped more than 30,000 tons of humanitarian aid for Gaza, including 26,000 tons of flour, adding that Turkiye is hosting “380 patients and 344 injured companions in Türkiye and providing their treatment.”
“We agreed on the importance of refraining from steps that will further threaten the security and stability of our region,” Erdogan added.
Raisi voiced criticisms of the US support of Israeli actions and spoke about the “dysfunctionality” of international institutions, including the UN.
“At a time when international organizations are losing their function, we definitely need to strive for a new and just world order,” the Iranian president said.
“Cutting off political and economic relations with the Zionist regime will be a deterrent to ending these Zionist murders,” he added.