Erdogan slams Iranian to soldier's remarks

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday responded to comments made by Iranian Chief of General Staff Hassan Firouzabadi, who has this week blamed Turkey for the bloodshed in Syria. Erdogan defined these remarks as regrettable and denied Turkey has meddled in Syrian affairs. Speaking to members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP), Erdogan said, "The statement by Iran's chief of general staff on a website belonging to the Revolutionary Guards that Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are responsible for the bloody developments in Syria is worrying and regrettable." Reiterating that Tehran he had been one of its few defenders amid Western pressure to boycott Iran over its nuclear program, Erdogan said, "When no one else was by its side, Turkey was the country that stood by Iran, despite everything. Turkey was also the country that defended its right to nuclear energy. But on Syria, once again I ask the Iranians: Does defending a regime that kills its brothers, and I think it has reached 25,000 by now, suit our values, our beliefs?"