ANKARA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned Iran's charge d'affaires in Ankara in response to Tehran's criticism of Turkish foreign policy, Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Tuesday.

The move came a day after Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Türkiye's ambassador following Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's warning to Tehran against actions that could undermine Syria's stability.

Keceli told reporters that during the talks with Iran's envoy, bilateral issues were discussed, including "some Iranian officials' accusations against Türkiye."

He said, "We believe that critical messages between countries should be conveyed directly to the relevant parties, which is the approach we followed today," slamming "certain" Iranian officials' "frequent criticism" of Türkiye in public recently.

Despite the diplomatic tension, Keceli reaffirmed the importance Türkiye has placed on its relations with Iran, saying, "Strengthening ties with Iran remains a priority for us."

The tension between the two countries has brewed after Fidan, in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Wednesday, criticized Iran's regional policies, particularly its reliance on militias in Syria and Iraq, urging Iran to reconsider its strategy. In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday described Fidan's comments as "unconstructive," calling on Turkish authorities to think more about the outcomes and impacts of their policies. Enditem

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