Türkiye, Iran Agree to Boost Ties, Cooperation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, asserted the importance of taking a joint stance against "Israeli atrocities and brutality in the Palestinian territories."

During a phone call, the two leaders discussed the "unlawful attacks" on Gaza, humanitarian aid efforts, and possible measures to achieve a permanent ceasefire.

Earlier, Türkiye and Iran reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian people in the face of the escalating Israeli aggression, their continued diplomatic efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire, and the arrival of aid to the Gaza Strip.

The two countries expressed their desire to enhance further cooperation in various political, security, and economic fields and about regional and international issues of common interest.

- Developments in Gaza

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, also discussed the recent developments in Gaza, bilateral relations, and ongoing efforts to boost cooperation in various fields over the phone.

Diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Fidan confirmed Türkiye will continue to exert all possible efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spreading to other regions.

The sources added that Fidan stressed the need to achieve the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of June 4, 1967.

He also called for mobilizing the efforts of Islamic countries to achieve this goal.

The sources noted that Fidan was satisfied with the announcement of various parties about their readiness to consider guarantorship, which Türkiye proposed for post-war on Gaza.

In turn, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the discussions between Amirabdollahian and Fidan focused on recent developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and several issues of bilateral concern.

The Ministry added in a statement that Amirabdollahian stressed the need for Iran and Türkiye, along with other Islamic countries, to take more decisive measures to support the Palestinian people.

The FM underscored the "need for a complete end to the Zionist regime's crimes against the Palestinian nation in Gaza and the West Bank."

- Strengthening cooperation

Amirabdollahian said he was pleased with the growing trend of cooperation between the two countries on different fronts, expressing hope that the continuation of high-level diplomacy between the two countries will lead to the ever-increasing enhancement of cooperation.

The recent developments in Gaza prompted more coordination and consultation between Ankara and Tehran.

The top Iranian diplomat visited Ankara in early November and discussed the situation in Gaza with Fidan.

He also met Erdogan, and the two sides called for a regional conference to discuss the situation, end the Israeli aggression and provide aid to the Palestinian people.

According to diplomatic sources, Fidan discussed the developments in Syria with Amirabdollahian.

The Iranian FM asserted that Tehran would continue its efforts to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus.

The meeting also addressed the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) issue in northern Iraq and its extension into Syria, the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), the largest component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Fidan stressed at the International Strategic Communications Summit (Stratcom) in Istanbul last Friday that terrorist groups exploit social media and carry out organized crimes to ensure financing, noting that old methods have become insufficient in the war against terrorism.

He reiterated that the support provided by allies, especially the US, to the Kurdistan Workers' Party and its affiliated YPG Units, claiming to fight the terrorist organization ISIS, was a major strategic mistake.

Fidan stressed that Türkiye will continue to take all necessary steps and precautions to enhance its national security.

Türkiye seeks tripartite cooperation with Iran and Iraq in combating the Kurdistan Workers' Party, as it is a threat to the three countries.

The US is investigating an unauthorized release of classified documents that assess Israel's plans to attack Iran, three US officials told The Associated Press. A fourth US official said the documents appear to be legitimate.
The documents are attributed to the US Geospatial Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and note that Israel continues to move military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran's blistering ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1. They were sharable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the US, Great Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The documents, which are marked top secret, were posted online to Telegram and first reported by CNN and Axios. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The investigation is also examining how the documents were obtained — including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the US intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack — and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, one of the officials said. As part of that investigation, officials are working to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted, the official said.
The documents emerged as the US has urged Israel to take advantage of its elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and press for a ceasefire in Gaza, and has likewise urgently cautioned Israel not to further expand military operations in the north in Lebanon and risk a wider regional war. However, Israel's leadership has repeatedly stressed it will not let Iran's missile attack go unanswered.

Türkiye, Iran Agree to Boost Ties, Cooperation