PGCC, Turkey joint statement ‘hypocritical, defamatory’

TEHRAN, Oct. 16 (MNA) – Foreign Ministry has responded to joint statement by Turkey and Persian Gulf Cooperation Council by describing it as ‘hypocritical and derogatory’ about Iran. The official reaction recriminates Arab states and Turkey of championing interference and thus hypocritical when they charge Iran of interfering in other countries’ affairs and whose irresponsible conduct pitted terrorism and extremism against countries in the region; “the situation in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon well belies their claims and the catastrophe mocks efforts of the failed policies of those meeting in Riyadh to shift the blame on Iran,” it said. In its second point, FM response points to Aleppo situation where humanitarian crisis has been evident and where war crimes targeted innocent civilians; “in all these crimes, the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and Turkey are accomplice with ISIL and other terrorists who act as their proxies; equally important is UAE’s unfounded and anachronistic claims on Iran’s three islands. In no time in history had these islands been subject to any Arab rule and after British withdrawal of forces in 1971, Iran reassured its rule over these islands which have belonged to Iran since times immemorial,” Foreign Ministry response said. “We believe the joint statement by Turkey and Persian Gulf Cooperation Council systematically lacks the necessary standards of conduct recognized by international conventions and that signatories are dishonest in their purported claims to the contrary; on JCPOA, their positions also lacks good will and displays a hatred of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its legitimate right to defend itself; the statement’s assertions on JCPOA is discredited by our standards,” it criticized the joint statement. The response however displayed some leniency by providing opportunities for the signatories of the statement to practice good will and honesty with Iran and only under such conditions, “would the Islamic Republic of Iran work with these countries to help a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction," an initiative pioneered by Iran.