UPDATE - Türkiye’s stance on Palestinian issue is 'praiseworthy', says Iranian president

UPDATE WITH MORE REMARKS FROM IRANIAN PRESIDENT, REVISES HEADLINE

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday said that Türkiye’s support and stance against oppression on the Palestinian issue is “praiseworthy.”

“President Erdogan and I are in agreement regarding Palestinian cause and recognition of rights of Palestinian people,” Raisi said in a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Türkiye’s capital Ankara.

Raisi said the “most disturbing issue” in the world is the Palestinian issue, and that the US is “the biggest culprit” in the current situation.

“The actions of the Zionist regime are supported by the US and Western countries. In fact, the US is the biggest culprit in these crimes.

“What is even more saddening is that international organizations, unfortunately, have lost their functionality. They lost the power to prevent these crimes, and this is even more heartbreaking than anything else,” he added.

The Iranian president urged the world to make efforts to establish a new global order of justice, saying that Tehran and Ankara’s cooperation in this area with other countries will be effective.

“Those who oppress the Palestinian people should be punished. We will strive for the Palestinian people to obtain their rights,” he added.

Raisi further said that Tehran and Ankara have “good relations” for many years, adding that Iran wants to elevate them to even “higher levels” in the future.

The president emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism, saying terrorist organizations have been operating with "the support of Western countries."

“We believe that the security of Türkiye is our security, as the security of countries in the region is our security. We consider any insecurity in the region to be our own. Therefore, we are very determined in the fight against terrorism,” he added.