Istanbul(ANN)-Ankara and Tehran need to prevent the US sanctions from impeding the neighbouring countries to reach their bilateral targets, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, reports Anadolu Agency.
“We must stop the US sanction decision on Iran from impeding us to reach our targets,” Erdogan said at the Turkey-Iran Business Forum in the Turkish capital Ankara.
He said Turkey is ready to do its part to reach desired level of bilateral ties with Iran.
“No one should expect us to end economic and trade relations with Iran due to the sanctions,” the Turkish president added.
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Erdogan said he believes the sanctions on Iran could be transformed into an opportunity for both countries to enhance their bilateral relations.
In August, the US re-imposed a first round of sanctions that mainly targeted Iran’s banking sector.
A second phase of sanctions, targeting Iran’s energy sector, came into effect on 5 November, although Washington granted a 180-day reprieve to the eight largest buyers of Iranian oil, including Turkey.