TEHRAN - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has praised Turkey for its support of the Palestinian nation and its break with the Zionist regime.

The Leader made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Tehran on Tuesday.
Iran is opposed to foreign meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs, he noted.
“The Americans are seeking to hijack the great movement of the Egyptian people, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is opposed to the intervention of foreigners in Egypt and believes that the people should be the main decision-makers,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
He also said that Egypt’s three-decade domination by the United States and the Zionist regime, the humiliation of the Egyptian nation, and Islamic motivations were the main causes of the Egyptians’ movement.
After 18 days of protests and demonstrations by millions of Egyptians who called for the departure of Hosni Mubarak and the establishment of a democratic government, on Friday, February 11, Mubarak decided to step aside and transfer power to the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
The Iranian nation and government have supported the uprising in Egypt and welcomed the downfall of Mubarak, who ruled Egypt despotically for three decades.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said that three factors brought Turkey back into the Islamic ummah, namely its adoption of an independent policy toward the West, its decision to distance itself from the Zionist regime, and its support of the Palestinian nation.
Iran and Turkey share common views on regional issues, especially issues related to Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, he said.
He highlighted the importance of Islamic unity and said that Muslims should make efforts to avoid falling into the trap of the foreigners who seek to foment discord and division among Islamic nations.
He went on to say that the British government is the main element behind the discord among Muslims.
If the Islamic world realizes its potential and capabilities, it will become a powerful player in the international arena, he added.
The Leader also called the relationship between Iran and Turkey friendly and brotherly and said that the two Islamic countries’ current political and economic relations are unprecedentedly strong.
However, Iran and Turkey should take advantage of this historical opportunity to realize the potential for the enhancement of their relations, he noted.
The Turkish president underlined the importance of maintaining Islamic unity.
Abdullah Gul also said that there is good evidence that the region is changing and expressed hope that the changes would be in the interests of regional nations.
Gul holds talks with Majlis speaker
The Turkish president also met with Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani on Tuesday to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues.
Gul said that the current level of bilateral trade is not in accord with the good and historical relationship between the two countries.
“We should try to remove the obstacles in the way of the expansion of bilateral cooperation,” he said.
Commenting on Iran’s nuclear dossier, he stated that the issue can only be resolved through dialogue and Turkey will make every effort to facilitate negotiations.
On recent developments that have led to major political changes in some regional countries, he said that the changes are far-reaching and expressed hope that the new regional governments would be stronger and sounder.
Larijani described Tehran-Ankara ties as strategic and said that there are many opportunities to strengthen this longstanding relationship.
The Iranian parliament speaker praised Turkey for its policies on regional issues and its stance toward Iran’s nuclear program and said that the strategic cooperation between the two countries can promote regional security and stability.