President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the significance of cooperation between Ankara and Tehran in different fields including security and trade during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Saturday.
"Iran and Turkey can play a greater role in combating terrorism and development of regional stability and security by deepening their interaction and cooperation," Erdoğan said, according to a statement released by the Iranian presidency.
Criticizing unilateral U.S. sanctions on Iran, Erdoğan said, "We will never accept these cruel sanctions, and we are looking for development of our friendship and cooperation with Iran."
Last May, the U.S. withdrew from the landmark nuclear deal, which was signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations – the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.
The Donald Trump administration also ended waivers in May for eight countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, stepping up pressure on Iran in a move that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey.
During the phone call, Rouhani said that development of relations and cooperation between Iran and Turkey, as "two powerful effective countries in the world of Islam," is important for stability and security of the region.
"Together, Iran and Turkey can cooperate with other friendly, brotherly countries to put an end to this regretful process and resolve the issues of the region and the world of Islam well," Rouhani said, expressing regret over the continuation of the bloodshed and the killing of people in countries such as Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan.
The president also stressed the importance of the development of cooperation in fighting against terrorism in the region and strengthening security in common borders, highlighting enhancing economic relations and the usage of national currencies on both sides.
Both leaders also congratulated each other on the occasion of Ramadan Bayram, also known as Eid al-Fitr.