ANKARA - Iranian Vice President Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh presented State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, Health Minister Recep Akdag and Director General for Youth and Sports Mehmet Atalay with letter of appreciation for their contribution to search and rescue efforts after the earthquake in Bam city of Iran.
Iran's Ankara Embassy hosted a meal for thanking Turkey for its aid after the earthquake in Iran.
Sahin delivered a speech before the meal and said that Turkey and Iran had a very rooted relations based on common geography and history and shaped on mutual respect and friendship.
Noting that although earthquake in Bam city had very sad and painful results, it caused this rooted relation between peoples and states of two country become closer, Sahin said that Turkish people and state were among the ones who supported Iranian people firstly on that painful day.
Mehr-Alizadeh thanked Turkish state and people which did not withhold their aid and was in solidarity with most sincere feelings after the quake.
Mehr-Alizadeh said that Iran considered Turkey's security and development as its own security and development and added that he believed that Turkey had the same feelings.
Meanwhile, Turkey and Iran signed a protocol on sports field that envisions mutual cooperation and mutual support in international field.
(GC-AÖ) 29.01.2004