Iran and Turkey have summoned each other's diplomats for discussions, officials said Tuesday, after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan criticized Tehran's policy of supporting militias in Syria and elsewhere.
On Monday, a top aide to Iran's foreign minister met with the Turkish ambassador to Tehran and emphasized the need to avoid "inappropriate remarks and unrealistic analyses that could lead to disputes and tensions in bilateral relations," according to an Iranian Foreign Ministry statement.
The Iranian official, Mahmoud Heidari, also told the Turkish ambassador that Muslim countries should focus their efforts on halting Israel's "crimes and aggressions" in the Palestinian territories and Syria.
Turkey reciprocated on Tuesday by inviting the Iranian charge d'affaires for discussions.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said the Iranian diplomat was told that foreign policy matters should not be used for domestic political purposes and that messages should be communicated directly to Turkish officials, not publicly.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera television aired last week, Fidan criticized Iran's foreign policy, describing Tehran's reliance on militias in the Middle East region as a "risky" strategy and urging a change in policy.
"If you try to create unrest in another country by supporting a group there, another country might try to create unrest in your country by supporting a group here," Fidan said.
The tensions between the two neighbors come as the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria has weakened Iran's influence in the country, while enhancing Turkey's clout. The new, Sunni Islamist government views Iran-backed militias as a threat.
The Iranian government spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, said Tuesday that Fidan's remarks were "unconstructive." She added: "We hope not to witness a repeat of them."
