TEHRAN - Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri has said that Iran and Turkey should cooperate and use their political capacities to help settle crises in Syria and Iraq.

In a phone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday, Jahangiri highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation in fight against terrorist groups in the Mideast region.

For his part, Davutoglu said Turkey prioritizes expansion of relations with Iran in various areas, noting that Ankara attaches great importance to Iran-Turkey ties given the current situation in the region.

The telephone conversation came after Davutoglu’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) secured an absolute majority in parliament in election on November 1, paving the way for the AKP to form a government without seeking a partner.

Since the conflict started in Syria more than four years ago Iran and Turkey have been backing opposite sides, Tehran backing the Beshar al-Assad government and Turkey the opposition groups. However, it seems that the emergence of extremely dangerous groups such as Daesh has made cooperation between the two countries inevitable.

NA/PA