Turkey hopes to review ties with Iran through senior level visits

Turkish officials have expressed hope to revive bilateral relations with neighboring Iran stalled amid Syrian conflict via high-level visits expected to take place within the next few months.

A visit by a delegation from the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜS?AD) to Tehran is likely to take place "in the coming days," a senior Turkish official said on Jan. 15.

The visit by TÜS?AD will be followed by a visit to Ankara by an Iranian deputy foreign minister, the same official said, speaking under the customary condition of anonymity.

"As the two neighboring countries, we need each other. Despite the fact that we fall foul of each other on some issues, we have managed to carry on our relations at a certain level as a requirement of our interests. This will grow particularly when sanctions are lifted," the official said.

Having confirmed that they have been planning to send a delegation to Tehran, executives from TÜS?AD, however, told Hürriyet Daily News that no exact date has yet been set.

Back in August 2015, a scheduled visit to Turkey by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was postponed at last minute. At the time, Turkish officials said the visit was postponed due to a "change in program," without elaborating on which side requested the delay and on what grounds. 

Turkish officials expect that the visit by the deputy foreign minister, which they said will take place "within a few weeks," will lay the ground for Zarif's delayed visit. 

The postponement last summer followed a senior Iranian official's harsh criticism of Ankara over its Syria policy, which accused superpowers of using the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other terror organizations as a tool. "Now Turkey is...