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A poem recited by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Azerbaijan has sparked a diplomatic dispute between his country and Iran, which has accused Ankara of undermining its territorial integrity.
On Thursday, Erdogan recited a poem in the Azerbaijani capital Baku about the division of predominantly Azeri-populated areas between Iran and Russia in the 19th century. Iran has two regions that share this name, West and East Azerbaijan. Along with the Ardabil province, more than 11 million Azeris live in the area.
Erdogan was heading to a military parade to celebrate Azerbaijan’s territorial achievements against Armenia in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Iran claimed that the poem was an interference in its internal affairs and summoned the Turkish ambassador to the Foreign Ministry. In response, Turkey also summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday night.
Tehran dissatisfaction
The Turkish leader inadvertently recited a poem that “refers to the forced separation of the areas north of the Aras from the Iranian homeland,” Foreign Minister Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter. “NOBODY can talk about OUR beloved Azerbaijan.” .
Erdogan’s comments were “based on wishful thinking,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Friday.
#TurkeyFM from @MevlutCavusoglu I had a phone conversation with #IranFM from @JZarif. Cavusoglu said that the Turkish president @RTErdogan respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Iranians, adding that Erdogan was not aware of the sensitivity of the poem he recited in Baku. pic.twitter.com/fYDD8zFcCB
– Abas Aslani (@AbasAslani) December 12, 2020
Ankara’s response
In a statement posted on the president’s website, Altun claimed that the Iranian authorities had tried to distort the overall context of the poem.
“We condemn the aggressive comments directed at the president and our country under the pretext of a poem,” Erdogan communications director Fahrettin Altun said in response to a question on Saturday.
Iran’s territorial integrity is not mentioned at all in the poem, Altun said, urging Tehran to avoid any rhetoric that could “overshadow our bilateral relations.”
Iran “must not forget” that Turkey supported it in difficult times and international pressure, Altun said, without referring to any specific incidents.
According to the most recent information, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu had a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart and assured him that Erdoγan respects Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and was unaware of the country’s sensibilities. .
Turkey has harshly criticized the US sanctions against Iran, which are primarily aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program.
Source: ΑΜΠΕ – skai.gr
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