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The leaders of Turkey and Iran met in Cairo at a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries, in their first sit-down since the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
The two countries were on opposite sides of Syria’s long-running civil war, with Turkey historically backing Assad’s opponents and Iran supporting his rule.
During their meeting, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country “wants to see a Syria where stability and security prevail” and “terrorism is eradicated”, according to a statement by the Turkish presidency issued Thursday night.
He also stressed the importance of protecting “Syria’s territorial integrity and unity”.
A statement from the office of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said that the “slightest damage to the territorial integrity of Syria is in no way acceptable”.
It added that Muslim countries “must act responsibly” against Israel’s “crimes” in the region.
The gathering in Cairo of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil, including the war in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and unrest in Syria.
In his speech at the summit, Pezeshkian said that “it is our religious, legal and human duty to prevent further harm” to those suffering in these conflict zones.
Pezeshkian is the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013.
Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Egypt in October, while his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty travelled to Tehran in July to attend Pezeshkian’s inauguration.
Erdogan is visiting Egypt for the second time this year. His February trip marked his first visit to Egypt as president after last visiting in 2012, when he served as Turkey’s prime minister.
maf/smw
