Iran, Türkiye Agree to Boost Regional, Bilateral Cooperation

Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)
Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)
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Iran, Türkiye Agree to Boost Regional, Bilateral Cooperation

Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)
Iranian FM Abdollahian receives his Turkish counterpart in Tehran. (Iranian foreign ministry)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian received in Tehran on Sunday his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan for talks on cooperation and regional affairs.

Abdollahian urged the activation of the cooperation agreement between Tehran and Ankara, the respect of the border waters rights, and the adoption of diplomacy and dialogue between Türkiye and Syria.

Fidan stressed that Türkiye and Iran have a responsibility toward regional stability, calling on Damascus to ensure the safe return of the displaced Syrians to their homeland.

IRNA news agency reported that the FMs exchanged view on issues of mutual interests, including regional and international developments.

Fidan is on his first visit to Iran since being named minister of foreign affairs in June.

During a joint press conference, Abdollahian described the talks with his Turkish counterpart as “good” and “detailed”.

“We have discussed the implementation of the comprehensive plan of cooperation between Tehran and Ankara that was concluded during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Tehran. The agreements between the two presidents are on the right track,” he said.

The Iranian FM said the two countries have set an annual trade volume target of 30 billion euros.

He added that work is ongoing to hold a tripartite meeting between Iran, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia to discuss economic and investment cooperation.

The issue of water, he said, also figured in his talks with Fidan. They agreed that their joint technical committee will hold the next round of talks on the issue in Tehran as soon as possible.

Abdollahian called for further cooperation between Iran and Türkiye in consular affairs to facilitate the travel of citizens from both countries.

Fidan praised the reconciliation between Tehran and Ankara, saying that friendly ties among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Iran are of high importance for regional stability.

The Turkish FM also stated that the Syrian government should work on ensuring a safe return of the Syrians in Türkiye.

Moreover, Fidan revealed that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit Ankara soon.



Hundreds of Journalists in France Stage ‘Die-in’ Solidarity Rally for Colleagues Killed in Gaza

More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 
More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 
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Hundreds of Journalists in France Stage ‘Die-in’ Solidarity Rally for Colleagues Killed in Gaza

More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 
More than 200 journalists lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out (AFP) 

Hundreds of journalists joined demonstrations in Paris and Marseille (southern France) on Wednesday in a show of solidarity for their colleagues killed in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, AFP correspondents said.

In Paris, more than 200 journalists, including prominent members of the French press, lay down on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a symbolic “die-in” as the names of the reporters killed in Gaza were read out.

Nearly 200 journalists were killed in the Palestinian enclave since October 2023.

“Gaza of faces, not just numbers”, read posters bearing photographs of their fallen Palestinian colleagues.

At the demonstration, placards bearing the logos of journalist trade unions stood alongside numerous Palestinian flags and keffiyehs. Some participants also chanted, “We will not be silent,” and “Free Palestine.”

Head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Europe branch, Yousef Habash, made a stand against “genocide” in Gaza, demanding an end to the blockade imposed on the Strip.

Head of France’s journalist union SNJ-CGT, Pablo Aiquel, said, “We have never witnessed such a high number of victims in our profession.”

He said the right to information is under threat.

Reporters Without Borders Director General Thibaut Bruttin said “This gathering comes late, perhaps too late. (...) I've never seen a conflict during which a killed journalist is described as a terrorist.”

In Marseille, about 160 people attended a similar demonstration. The names of journalists killed in Gaza were read out, before the participants held a minute's silence to mourn the victims.

In an op-ed in the leading French daily Le Monde earlier this week, several journalist associations, trade unions and around 40 media organizations, condemned the Israeli media blackout in Gaza.

“The Israeli army is imposing a media blackout on Gaza to silence, as much as possible, the witnesses of the war crimes committed by its troops,” said the newspaper column.