ANKARA, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Turkey on Friday for talks with his counterpart Hakan Fidan on the recent developments in Iran and tensions with the United States, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would be far worse. Trump has sent an “armada” to the Middle East and warned Tehran against killing anti-government protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.
Tehran, which brutally cracked down on large protests this month and killed or arrested thousands, responded with a threat to strike back against the United States, Israel and those who support them.
Iranian officials blame the unrest, the biggest since the 1979 revolution, on Iran’s foes, Israel and the United States.
Turkey, a NATO member that shares a border with Iran, has said it opposes any foreign intervention on its neighbour and urged Washington to resolve its issues with Iran “one by one”.
It has reached out to both sides, warning that destabilisation in Iran would exceed the region’s capacity to manage at this time.
The source said Fidan would tell Araqchi that Turkey closely followed developments in Iran, and that Iran’s security, peace, and stability were of “great importance” for Ankara.
Fidan will also repeat Turkey’s opposition to any military attack on Iran and warn that such a move will “create risks on a global scale”, the source said, adding that he would offer Turkey’s support in helping resolve tensions with Washington.
Fidan will “note that Turkey supports finding a solution on Iran’s nuclear programme as soon as possible, and that it stands ready to help on this issue if it is needed,” the source said.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Michael Perry)
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