Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Aug. 17 on a visit Turkish media said was the first to Turkey by an Iranian military chief of staff since the 1979 revolution in Iran.
Baqeri told reports on Wednesday that bilateral defence ties, regional developments and battling terrorism were the key issues discussed during his meeting with Erdoğan.
"On military issues, both sides agreed to have mutual cooperation on education and student exchanges as well as holding joint training courses," Baqeri said.
Turkish presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın described the visit as successful, adding that talks focused on counterterrorism, the battle with Islamic State, and a joint effort by Iran, Turkey and Russia to stem the fighting in parts of Syria.
"An agreement was reached to hold further high-level visits from now on. A series of activities will also be held to boost military cooperation," Kalın told a news conference.
Baqeri noted that Erdogan would be travelling to Iran in the near future, and that a joint strategic commission would be held between the two countries with the presence of high-ranking officials with the goal of devolving bilateral economic, political, cultural and military ties.
Baqeri's trip to Ankara came days ahead of a planned visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
On Tuesday, Baqeri met with his Turkish counterpart General Hulusi Akar and discussed ways to improve the two countries’ security, particularly in border areas, and continue the fight against terrorism, Press TV reported. Baqeri arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for a three-day visit at the head of a high-ranking politico-military delegation. He said his trip was aimed at discussing enhanced cooperation on military and regional issues. the report added.
