Shafaq News/ Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s chargé d'affaires on Tuesday, a day after Tehran called in the Turkish ambassador, Hicabi Kırlangıç, amid growing diplomatic friction.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said the meeting addressed bilateral issues and past accusations from Iranian officials, adding that Turkiye had previously submitted dossiers on the matter to Iran.

Keceli stressed that "foreign policy should not be used for domestic politics" and that Turkiye prefers direct diplomatic communication over public statements. "We value our relations with Iran and consider strengthening bilateral ties important," he added.

Rising Diplomatic Tensions

On Monday, Iran summoned Turkish Ambassador Hicabi Kırlangıç over remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan had recently urged Iran to abandon its "expansionist" policies, arguing that Tehran’s influence in Iraq and Syria “has come at a heavy cost, outweighing any gains.”

In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei accused Turkiye of "turning a blind eye to the hidden hands of the US and Israel in regional developments," calling Fidan’s remarks "a major mistake."

Baqaei further wrote on X, "As Minister Fidan said, the region should be free from hegemonic ambitions—whether from Arabs, Turks, Kurds, or Iranians. But what about Israel?"

He also accused Turkiye of facilitating Israeli attacks in Syria, claiming that "after the fall of the Syrian regime at the hands of Turkiye-backed forces, Israel launched extensive strikes on Syria’s military, defense, and research infrastructure, destroying over 90% of them."

Tensions between Tehran and Ankara have escalated since Bashar Al-Assad's downfall in Syria, driven by political disputes and pro-Iranian media narratives, while Turkiye denies direct involvement in his removal.