Erdoğan: Iran is both our neighbour and strategic partner

Severing ties with global strategic partners goes against Turkey’s understanding of sovereignty, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he prepared to embark on a trip to South Africa.

“Severing ties with our strategic global partners, who are just like the U.S. to us, goes against our understanding of sovereignty. Iran is both our neighbor and our strategic partner. There are so many developments based on mutual benefit,” Erdoğan said to members of the press in Ankara before boarding the presidential plane to South Africa.

Washington has told its allies to cut imports of Iranian oil by November, a senior State Department official said. Trump in May said that his administration was withdrawing from the “defective” 2015 nuclear deal agreed by Iran and six world powers.

Erdoğan will attend the summit to be held between Wednesday and Friday. His attendance at the summit will serve as the first high-level contact between Turkey and the BRICS bloc.

Erdoğan said he will discuss developments in Syria with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during his trip to South Africa.

"Developments in Syria, whether in Tal Rifat or Manbij, are not going as desired. The only places that are going in the desired direction are Afrin, Jarabulus and Al Bab," Erdoğan said

The president said issues in Idlib and Daraa will also be addressed during his meeting with Putin. "Anything can happen in these places at any time."

Last month, the Syrian regime -- with Russian air support -- launched a major military operation in Daraa, allowing it and its allies to establish control over most of Syria’s border with Jordan.

The fighting led to a major displacement crisis, with an estimated 350,000 civilians fleeing Daraa towards areas near the border.

Erdoğan said he will attend the summit which will end on Friday in Johannesburg as the term president of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

His attendance at the summit will serve as the first high-level contact between Turkey and the BRICS bloc.

"The theme of the session that I will attend is 'Global South-South Cooperation'," Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan drew attention to the importance of the BRICS Summit saying: "I see the summit as an important opportunity to enhance relations between Turkey and BRICS."

"I believe that the African continent would change the future of our ever-changing world," he added.

The BRICS regional bloc is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, countries that share over 20 percent of the global economy and contribute around 17 percent to international trade.

On the sidelines of the summit, the president is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of all BRICS member states and other invited leaders.

In response to a question regarding Turkey's position on possible sanctions by the U.S. against Iran, Erdoğan said: "One must note that ending relations with our other strategic partners in the world conflicts with Turkey's understanding of independence..."