By Diyar Guldogan
ANKARA (AA) - Ankara and Tehran can take many joint steps to end clashes and ensure peace in the region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
"There are so many steps that Turkey and Iran can take together to end the clashes in our region and ensure a peaceful environment," Erdogan said at a news conference with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in the capital Ankara.
Erdogan said Turkey did not allow any entities seeking to harm the security of the country and the region, adding that it would not all allow them in the future.
Ankara and Tehran have a strong will to increase cooperation in this regard, he stressed.
The president also said Turkey does not approve the U.S. sanctions on Iran since it leads to destabilization in region.
"We will continue to be in solidarity with brotherly Iran at a time when pressures on Iran mounts which we find unjust," Erdogan added.
In August, the U.S. re-imposed a first round of sanctions that mainly targeted Iran’s banking sector.
A second phase of sanctions -- targeting Iran’s energy sector -- came into effect on Nov. 5, although Washington granted a 180-day reprieve to the eight largest buyers of Iranian oil, including Turkey.