Recep Erdogan and Iranian foreign minister hold talks in Ankara, pledge to cooperate over Syria

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold key talks in Ankara.

The Iranian foreign minister met the Turkish president on Friday in the most significant visit by a high-ranking foreign dignitary to Turkey since the July 15 failed coup attempt in the country.

The meeting came after Zarif held talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and attended a joint press conference with him.

"I congratulate the Turkish nation for the defiance they showed against the coup-plotters," Zarif told reporters, in comments translated into Turkish. "They showed the people of the region that they would not allow democracy and their rights to be taken away from them through coups and the use of force."

In a joint press conference between Zarif and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier in the day, it was stressed that despite differences, Turkey and Iran “would strengthen cooperation for a lasting peace in Syria.”

“Iran always had good relations with both Turkey and Russia. All of the countries in the region must cooperate to bring peace in Syria and fight against extremism,” Zarif said during the event.