Tehran, YJC. Diplomatic skirmish between Tehran and Ankara is damping as Erdogan’s scheduled visit is drawing on.
Right-wing Iranian politicians and MPs have escalated their
demands that the Iranian Foreign Ministry prevent an impending visit by Turkish
President Recep Tayyep Erdogan to Tehran.
The disputes followed remarks by Erdogan on March 26 when he
accused Iran of expansionist policies.
He stated that Iran’s role in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq has
frustrated Turkey and the Arab countries.
In response, Iranian politicians, mostly from the
Principlist party, have raised pressure on the government to cancel Erdogan’s
visit on early April.
On March 30 Erdogan rejected the demands and said that
despite disputes by the right-wing figures, the Iranian government is willing
to have him in Tehran.
MP Ahmad Tavakoli said March 31 that Erdogan’s latter remark was
even more impudent than his previous one.
He urged the Foreign
Ministry to cancel the trip and in return accused Erdogan of pursuing a revival
of the Ottoman Empire.