Iran voices support for thaw in Ankara-Damascus relations

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks at a joint press conference on Tuesday, following a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara.

"We are very pleased by the fact that relations between Damascus and Ankara are undergoing change," he said, adding, "We believe any positive development in relations between Ankara and Damascus will benefit our region and our countries."

The top Iranian diplomat further noted that the Islamic Republic will make every effort to achieve this goal, given its close relationship with both Turkey and Syria.

Cavusoglu, for his part, said Turkey was on the same page with Iran that the territorial integrity of Syria should be preserved.

He also said he intends to hold his first official meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad "in the upcoming period."

The Turkish official had earlier suggested that he might meet his Syrian counterpart next month for talks aimed at setting up a historic summit between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Today, we emphasized that Iran's contribution to this process is very important," he said.

Back in December, defense ministers of Russia, Turkey and Syria held talks in Moscow in a clear sign of normalization between Ankara and Damascus.

It was the first direct talks between Ankara and Damascus since the outbreak of the Syria civil war over a decade ago.

Turkey cut off its relations with Syria in March 2012, a year after the Arab country found itself in the grip of rampant and deadly violence waged by foreign-backed militants and terrorists, including those allegedly supported by Ankara.

Amir-Abdollahian also met with Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, to discuss the leading developments in West Asia and South Caucasus.

The Iranian top diplomat said they discussed bilateral cooperation, as well as issues of regional and international significance, during the meeting which lasted for more than 90 minutes.

He also said necessary preparations have been made for a visit to Turkey by President Ebrahim Raisi, noting that the visit will take place soon.