Iran responds to Erdogan's poem alleging separatist sentiments

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reacted to a piece of poetry recited by Turkish President Recep Teyyep Erdogan, which allegedly involved separatist sentiments about the Aras River which runs along the Iran-Azerbaijan border. Zarif said in a tweet that Erdogan's actions are undermining the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkey's biggest ally in the region.

“Pres. Erdogan was not informed that what he ill-recited in Baku refers to the forcible separation of areas north of Aras from Iranian motherland,” Zarif tweeted on Friday.

“Didn't he realize that he was undermining the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan?” he added.

“NO ONE can talk about OUR beloved Azerbaijan,” he noted, referring to the West Azerbaijan province in the north of the Islamic Republic.

Mehr News Agency reported on Friday, December 11 that Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Turkey's ambassador to Tehran over the remarks made by Turkish President Erdogan during his visit to the Azerbaijan Republic. The Ministry’s spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Derya Örs has been summoned following "meddlesome and unacceptable" remarks of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made during his trip to Baku. Khatibzadeh said the Islamic Republic is awaiting Turkey's explanations as soon as possible.

Erdogan traveled to Baku on Thursday to attend a military parade of Azerbaijani forces after Baku's "victory" in the recent war against Nagorno-Karabakh. At the ceremony, he recited a piece of poetry which reportedly included separatist sentiments about the Aras River which runs along the Iran-Azerbaijan border.