Ankara, March 4 The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned Iran's charge d'affaires in Ankara in response to Tehran's criticism of Turkish foreign policy, Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Tuesday.
The move came a day after Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Turkey's ambassador following Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's warning to Tehran against actions that could undermine Syria's stability.
Keceli told reporters that during the talks with Iran's envoy, bilateral issues were discussed, including "some Iranian officials' accusations against Turkey".
He said, "We believe that critical messages between countries should be conveyed directly to the relevant parties, which is the approach we followed today," slamming "certain" Iranian officials' "frequent criticism" of Turkey in public recently.
Despite the diplomatic tension, Keceli reaffirmed the importance Turkey has placed on its relations with Iran, saying, "Strengthening ties with Iran remains a priority for us."
The tension between the two countries has brewed after Fidan, in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Wednesday, criticised Iran's regional policies, particularly its reliance on militias in Syria and Iraq, urging Iran to reconsider its strategy. In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday described Fidan's comments as "unconstructive," calling on Turkish authorities to think more about the outcomes and impacts of their policies.
On Monday, Baghaei responded to Fidan's comments in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic last Wednesday, where the Turkish minister criticised Iran's regional policies, particularly its reliance on militias in Syria and Iraq.
Fidan argued that while Iran had made some gains, its approach imposed a long-term burden on both the region and Iran's establishment, urging Tehran to reconsider its strategy.
Baghaei said Fidan's remarks were "frequently repeated" and "unconstructive." He also cited Israel's growing assertiveness in the region, particularly in Syria, and called on Turkish authorities to think more about the outcomes and impacts of their policies.
He noted that although the two countries had differences over several regional issues, they had managed to preserve "good ties" by adopting "wise approaches and showing rational behaviours."
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