The Office of the Supreme Leader

In a meeting with the Turkish president

The Solution to the Yemen crisis is a halt to attacks and foreign interference

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said the great event of “General Islamic Awakening” is the main reason behind the anxiety of enemies of Islam.

Referring to plots hatched by enemies to counter this big event, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Today, the United States and Zionists are happy with internal differences in some Muslim countries and the solution to these problems lies in cooperation among Muslim countries and adopting appropriate and constructive practical measures.”

Highlighting that the enhancement of ties between Iran and Turkey will serve the common interests of both nations, the supreme Leader said: “The strength of each Muslim country in the Islamic world is, in fact, [regarded as] the strength of the [entire] Muslim ummah (community) and the general policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is that Muslim countries should strengthen one another and refrain from weakening each another. The promotion of Iran-Turkey relations will contribute to the realization of this objective.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “We have constantly insisted [on the fact] that Muslim countries would not benefit from trusting the West and the US, and today everyone is clearly witnessing the outcome of the West’s actions in the region, which are to the detriment of Islam and the region.”

He touched upon upheavals in certain regional countries as well as the brutalities committed by terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, saying: “If someone does not see the enemy’s hidden hand in these events, he is in self-deception.”

To that effect, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the happiness of the US and the Zionists with the current situation in the region and said: “The Zionists and many Western governments, mainly the US, are happy with these developments and they have no intention of putting an end to the ISIL issue.”

The supreme leader recalled some examples of ISIL’s acts of extreme savagery, and the terror group’s primary objective of dominating Baghdad, asking who has been underwriting and arming these groups.

“Foreigners certainly do not want this issue to be resolved. Therefore, it is up to Muslim countries to make a decision to solve these problems. But unfortunately no appropriate and constructive collective decision has been made,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the ongoing chaos in Yemen as another example of new problems in the Muslim world and proposed a solution for the crisis in the Arab country.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s position vis-à-vis all countries, including Yemen, is opposition to foreign interference. Therefore, in our view, the solution to the crisis in Yemen is for the attacks and foreign interference against the people of this country to stop, and it is Yemenis that should decide for the future of their country,” he said.

The supreme leader said the great event of “General Islamic Awakening” together with nations’ thirst for Islam is the key reason behind the sensitivity of enemies. Ayatollah Khamenei noted: “In opposition to this awakening, the enemies of Islam have long launched their counterattack, and the regrettable fact is that some Islamic governments are also committing treason and put their money and logistics at the disposal of the enemy.”

Ayatollah Khamenei then highlighted the situation in Iraq and touched upon Iran’s assistance to the Iraqi people to head off the dominance of terrorists. “Iran has no military presence in Iraq, but historic, deep-seated and very close relations exist between the Iranian and Iraqi nations,” he said.

The supreme leader wished growing dignity and glory for the Muslim world and reiterated Iran’s readiness to exchange views and hold consultations to help resolve regional issues.

For his part, the Turkish president touched on his talks in Tehran and said during his trip, the two sides discussed bilateral issues, including reciprocal political and economic ties, as well as regional questions.

He referred to Tehran-Ankara relations in the energy sector and said the Iran-Turkey Economic Cooperation Council has been established, noting that officials in charge have been instructed to follow up on plans to push up mutual trade to billion.

Erdogan stressed the need for resolving the issues and problems which exist within the Muslim world without the interference of the West, saying there are many problems in the region which should be resolved through regional cooperation and without the West’s intervention.

The Turkish president also condemned the crimes committed by the ISIL terrorist group and noted he does not consider ISIL terrorists as Muslims and that he has adopted a stance against them.
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