Iran and Turkey are two friendly and brotherly countries of the region, and the increase of bilateral cooperation will be beneficial to the people of the region, Erdoğan said in a telephone conversation according to Iranian news agency IRNA.

"Turkey and Iran can contribute to the development of regional stability and security and to the more effective fight against terrorism by developing cooperation and relation," Erdoğan said during the phone conversation while pointed out the importance of the development of Tehran-Ankara relations especially in the economic field.

Noting that US sanctions on Iran are unilateral and unfair, Erdoğan said, "We will never accept these cruel sanctions and we aim to increase our friendship and cooperation with Iran."

Iran and Turkey are two powerful and influential countries in the region, Hassan Rouhani said in the phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday.

He added that Tehran is determined to strengthen economic cooperation with Ankara and use the two countries' national currencies in their transactions.

Iran and Turkey have agreed to step up their economic cooperation with the aim of reaching a $30-billion target set for their annual trade; voicing concern over the re-imposition by the US of unilateral sanctions against Iran, a move which they say could affect the entire region's economy.

The Iranian president further expressed sorrow for the continued bloodshed and the killing of people in Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Afghanistan and said Iran and Turkey in cooperation with other friendly countries can put an end to the ongoing "unfortunate and dangerous" situation and properly solve the issues of the region and the Muslim world.

He also stressed the importance of bolstering cooperation between Iran and Turkey in the fight against terrorism in the region and promoting security at the common borders.

In a meeting with his Turkish counterpart in Russia’s resort city of Sochi in February, Rouhani lashed out at Western states, especially the US, for throwing their support behind terror groups.

"Unfortunately, terror groups in the region have been supported by foreign powers, especially the United States, for years," Rouhani said. (ILKHA)