Regional rival Iran expresses support for government over coup attempt

chika ebuzor

July 16, 2016 4:38 PM

Iran, a Shi'ite Muslim nation, has long been a regional rival of Sunni majority Turkey.

Iran, Turkey's neighbour and regional rival, said on Saturday it fully supported the Turkish government against an attempted military coup and expressed concern about its implications.

President Hassan Rouhani chaired a meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the latest developments in Turkey, where loyalist troops were fighting to crush the remnants of a coup attempt launched on Friday night.

"We support Turkey's legal government and oppose any type of coup - either initiated domestically or supported by foreigners," National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani said after the meeting, quoted by state news agency IRNA.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has spoken three times on the telephone with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Iranian news agencies said.

Zarif said in a tweet he was "deeply concerned about the crisis in Turkey. Stability, democracy and safety of Turkish people are paramount".

He later praised supporters of President Tayyip Erdogan who took to the streets to oppose the military move.

"Turkish people's brave defence of democracy and their elected government proves that coups have no place in our region and are doomed to fail," he said.

chika ebuzor