Turkey denies Erdogan ‘felt sorry’ after death of Qassem Soleimani or that he said he was a ‘martyr’

Turkey has denied President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani as a ‘martyr’ or that he ‘felt sorry’ following his assassination.

It was claimed by Russian state media that Erdogan told Iranian president Hassan Rouhani he felt ‘sorry for the loss of the martyr Qassem Soleimani’.

The deepening crisis between Tehran and the Washington reached new levels when a drone strike killed the leader of the elite Iranian Quds Force at Baghdad airport on Friday. 

The Arabic-language version of Russian outlet RT said the remarks were made by Erdogan during a conference call yesterday.

RT quoted Erdogan as saying: ‘I feel sorry for the loss of the martyr Qassem Soleimani, and I understand the anger of the people of Iran.

‘I witnessed Soleimani’s funeral in Iraq as it shows his popularity with the Iraqi people.’

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meeting with the family of late Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps General ,Qasem Soleimani, at his home in Tehran yesterday

But today a spokesman for Erdogan denied the Turkish president called Soleimani a ‘martyr’, according to Turkish state news.

Erdogan offered his condolences to Rouhani and urged him to avoid an escalation with the US, but ‘did not use ”martyr” to describe him’, a Turkish official told TRT World. 

He reportedly added that there was a need ‘not to allow external interference in a way that does not endanger peace and stability in the region’ and that killing Soleimani was ‘a grave mistake’. 

Today Erdogan again called for de-escalation between Iran and the US, saying the slaying of the top commander will likely not go unanswered, and voiced concern about regional security risks.

During a televised interview today, he said he was surprised by the killing because the strike occurred just hours after a phone call with President Trump.

Erdogan said he ‘especially had suggested to [Trump] that tensions with Iran should not be heightened’ during that call.

Tehran has since abandoned all limits of its 2015 nuclear deal, and Iraq’s parliament called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil.

Turkey shares a border with Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Mohsen Rezaee, a former leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa can be targeted to avenge the killing, along with at least 35 US targets. 

Russian state media reported that Erdogan told Iranian president Hassan Rouhani he felt ‘sorry for the loss of the martyr Qassem Soleimani’

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (second left) shaking hands with Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani (second right) in 2015

Earlier today Iraq’s parliament voted to expel US military from the country after Soleimani was targeted on their soil. 

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group says America’s military in the Middle East region, including US bases, warships and soldiers are now fair targets. 

Protesters took to the streets in Iran to demonstrate against the US actions.

Demonstrators in Iraq called for both the US and Iran to leave the country and blamed them for the growing crisis as sectarian violence erupted across Iraq.

Yesterday President Trump threatened to hit 52 critical targets in Iran in retaliation for any strikes on US interests in the region.

He upped the ante after Iran said it had identified 35 targets for potential strikes and raised its red ‘flags of revenge’ over a key mosque in Tehran.

On Saturday, Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami promised ‘a strategic revenge which will definitely put an end to the US presence in the region’. 

The US said its military may strike more Iranian leaders if the Islamic Republic retaliates, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today.