Member of Assembly of Experts:

Turkey’s downing of Russian jet ‘historical, strategic mistake’

Rasa – "The crookedness of the politicians of some Middle Eastern countries, including Turkey, has caused tension between the countries of the region," Hujjat al-Islam Pourmohammadi told Rasa News.

News ID: 3652

Date: 06 December 2015 - 21:02

RNA – Speaking with Rasa News Agency, Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad-Taqi Pourmohammadi, a member of the Assembly of Experts, referred to the rising tension between Turkey and Russia in the Middle East, saying that Turkey’s targeting of a Russian fighter jet was a “historical and strategic mistake.”

On November 24, NATO member Turkey shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 bomber aircraft near the Syria–Turkey border, claiming the warplane had repeatedly violated its air space. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the jet had been attacked when it was one kilometre inside Syria.

Pourmohammadi stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy is to establish and maintain friendship with its neighbours and added that today, there must be a global consensus against ISIL and other terrorist groups in the region.

“Despite claims by Turkish officials, Turkey’s policies run counter to the fight against terrorism,” he stressed.

The Friday prayer leader of Maragheh stressed that the crookedness of some politicians in the Middle East, including Turkey, has caused tension between the countries of the region, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statements about Syria are contrary to the policy of countering terrorism in the region.

“We hope that such actions will not cause tension in the region,” he said.

Hujjat al-Islam Pourmohammadi pointed out that Erdoğan must not sacrifice Turkey’s national security for the sake of the West in the region. “Erdogan seeks to establish a new Ottoman Empire with the help of the arrogant powers and though Russian President Putin’s stance and American backstabbing, the nature of the arrogant powers have become obvious.”

The representative of East Azerbaijan in the Assembly of Experts adviced the Turkish authorities to "learn from the US’ actions and not seek to create tension in the region."

“Today, more than ever before, the international community has come to recognise the dangers posed by extremist movements and the Takfiri phenomenon to the world. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, has been warning about this for several years,” he said.

He said that presently, many European countries are threatened by ISIL, and that the international community needs to deal with terrorism and prevent the interference of the arrogant powers in the affairs of Islamic countries. “ISIL has made the world forget the issue of Yemen and Saudi regime is using the opportunities provided to massacre the Muslims people of this country,” he stressed.

Hujjat al-Islam Pourmohammadi called on the United Nations to give serious attention to the historic and unprecedented genocide in Yemen and said: “The House of Saud is one of the greatest criminals in the history of humankind and their outcome will certainly not be any better than that which happened to Hitler, Saddam and other criminals throughout history.”

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