Turkish president speaks with Iran’s interim president over Raisi’s death

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoke over the phone with Iran’s interim President Mohammad Mokhber and extended condolences over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

“During the call, President Erdogan expressed his sadness for the loss of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, along with the accompanying delegation in a tragic helicopter crash, and conveyed his condolences and wishes of patience,” Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said on X on Monday.

“Noting that Türkiye stands by Iran in these bitter days and shares the grief of the Iranian people, President Erdogan stated that Türkiye will continue to fulfil the duty of neighbourship and brotherhood towards Iran in the forthcoming period,” the directorate added.

Raisi and Amirabdollahian’s contributions to relations between the two countries would always be remembered, the Turkish president said.

After a night-long search operation hampered by bad weather, Raisi, Amirabdollahian and other top officials have been declared dead.

Dozens of emergency rescue teams had been dispatched to the mountainous area in northwestern Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, where the incident took place on Sunday afternoon.

According to the Iranian Constitution, the first vice president – Mohammad Mokhber – will assume powers of the presidency and elections be held within 50 days.

Turkish FM offers condolences

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Iran's interim Foreign Minister Ali Bageri Keni that he was deeply saddened by the death of the country's President Ebrahim Raisi and top diplomat Hossein Amirabdollahian.

In a phone call with Keni, Fidan also conveyed his condolences to "friendly and brotherly" people of Iran.

Raisi was returning from the inauguration ceremony of a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border on Sunday when the crash took place, according to Iranian state broadcasters.

The crash also resulted in the deaths of Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, as well as that of Malik Rahmeti, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz province.