'Turkey, Iran should join forces to help Islamic world'

Turkey and Iran need to work together to find solutions to the problems of the Islamic world and for the unity of the Muslim Ummah, the head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate said Friday.

Ali Erbas made the remarks during a meeting with Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Turkey and Iran have a lot of work to do for the Muslim Ummah, Erbas said during an inter-delegation meeting.

He noted that the Islamic world has been facing big problems such as conflicts, terrorism, Islamophobia, poverty and ignorance.

"What we need to do is work for the good of the Muslim Ummah by averting the obstacles through patience and a strong will," he said.

"We are responsible for the blood that is being shed in the Islamic territories, particularly in Syria.

"We are responsible for the Palestinian territories still being under occupation. We need to exert more effort to resolve these problems," he added.

For his part, Araki said: "If these two countries [Turkey and Iran] cooperate, I think there will be big impacts on the Islamic world."

"Iran and Turkey have had effective roles in the world for decades," he said. "I think the same process can be carried out again with a common understanding."