Turkey urges Iran protesters not to succumb to ‘provocations’

Turkey voices concern over protests in neighboring Iran that have resulted in deaths and harmed public property, saying Ankara attaches great importance to the “preservation of social peace and stability” in the country.

In a statement Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry urges protesters to avoid violence and not to fall for “provocations.” It also welcomes a speech by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during which he backed the right to peaceful protests but warned against violating laws or harming public property.

The ministry says: “We hope that peace is ensured and common sense prevails so that the events do not escalate, and that rhetoric and foreign interventions that incite developments are avoided.”

The protests against the government’s handling of the economy, which began Thursday and have spread to several cities, are the largest seen in Iran since those that followed a disputed 2009 presidential election.

— AP