Iran denies PKK presence on its soil, criticize Turkish official

TEHRAN,Aug.14(MNA) – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast denied the claims by a Turkish official that the PKK (the Kurdistan Workers’ Party) launches its operations from Iranian soil. In a press release on Sunday, Mehmanparast censured Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc for his recent allegations about Iran. Mehmanparast said that making such accusations against Iran will not help Turkey to resolve its internal problems. According to the Turkish Weekly, earlier this week, the Turkish deputy prime minister also slammed Iran over its position on Syria. On Syria, Mehmanparast said there is a difference of opinion between Iran and Turkey on the Syrian issue but this should not be allowed to sow dissension between the two countries. If the remarks made by Mr. Arinc were not caused by misunderstanding, they can lead to bitter conflicts between religious and ethnic groups in the region and this will threaten interests of the Muslim world, Mehmanparast said. He added that over the past three decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has supported the oppressed people of the region, including the people of Palestine, and this is indicative of the fact that Iran has never shaped its policies on the basis of a religious approach. He went on to say that Iran has paid the price of being adherent to its principles and following its policies, and the current pressure imposed on the country by the hegemonistic powers proves the fact.