In a press conference held after his meeting with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Wednesday, Amirabdollahian said Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had ordered dispatching of aid to the quake-hit people in Turkey immediately after the first quake happened in the country on February 6.
“Despite the fact that the Iranian relief forces were involved in relief operation in the (quake-hit Iranian) city of Khoy, the Red Crescent Society, the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps were dispatched to quake-hit areas in Turkey immediately, because we view Turkish people’s problem as our own problem,” he said.
“Today, we are here to once again declare our solidarity with the quake-stricken people of Turkey,” said the Iranian minister.
He also congratulated the International Women's Day and reiterated that women in Iran are among the most empowered groups in the society, IRNA reported.
Cavusoglu, for his part, thanked Iran for its provision of humanitarian aid to people affected by earthquakes in Turkey.
Cavusoglu also said that a planned visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Turkey had been postponed because of the earthquakes, adding that Amirabdollahian’s ongoing visit is aimed at coordinating Raisi’s future visit to Ankara.
In their meeting on Wednesday, Amirabdollahian and Cavusoglu also discussed regional developments.
The Iranian foreign minister had said upon his arrival in Turkey late on Tuesday that his visit will be mainly aimed at expressing solidarity with the Turkish government and people for the devastating earthquakes that hit the country’s southern regions last month.
The top diplomat is also scheduled to tour quake-hit areas in Turkey’s province of Adiyaman.
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