Tehran has accused Israel and the US of being behind Fakhrizadeh’s killing
Turkey said Sunday that the killing of a key Iranian nuclear scientist was an act of “terrorism” that “upsets peace in the region.”
“We regret the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh following an armed attack. We condemn this heinous murder and offer our condolences to the Iranian government and the dead man’s relatives,” Ankara’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Turkey is against all initiatives aimed at disrupting peace in the region and against all forms of terrorism, no matter who their perpetrator or target is.”
Ankara also urged “all parties to act with common sense and restraint.”
Fakhrizadeh, 59, was killed on Friday in a car bomb and gun attack against his own vehicle, the Iranian defense ministry said.
It added that he had been head of the ministry’s research and innovation department. Tehran has accused Israel and the US of being behind Fakhrizadeh’s killing.
Israel maintains a policy of ambiguity regarding security matters, rarely confirming or denying government operations against enemy targets.
Meanwhile, former CIA chief John Brennan excoriated Fakhrizadeh’s targeted assassination in a series of tweets, describing it as a “highly reckless” act of “state-sponsored terrorism.”
Careful not to point the blame at one specific foreign government, Brennan nevertheless insisted that “such an act state-sponsored terrorism would be a flagrant violation of international law & encourage more governments to carry out lethal attacks against foreign officials.”
Neighboring Turkey and Iran are regional powers with a history of complex relations.
While they often line up on opposing sides, recent years have seen them build up cooperation in some areas like energy.
Source: i24 News
