TEHRAN – Iranian tourism minister Ezatollah Zarghami on Saturday called for further efforts to deepen cooperation with Turkey.

The Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts expressed hope that ongoing efforts and follow-ups would bring the two nations closer than ever,  IRNA reported.

Zarghami made the remarks during a meeting with Ali Yildirim, the president of Turkey's Alevi community, the report said.

Identifying common grounds and investing in tourism facilities to expand relations are on the agenda, the Iranian minister said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarghami said his ministry seeks to remove barriers and facilitate the issuance of investment permits in Iran.

Yildirim, for his part, said that identifying and introducing Iran more and better to Turkish Alevists around the world is one of their important missions.

Furthermore, the Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble in Ardebil is scheduled to host a delegation of the Alevi community on Eid al-Ghadir, the day on which Imam Ali (AS) was appointed as the first Shia Imam as his successor and Muslims’ next leader.

Alevism is a local tradition of Islam, whose adherents follow Haji Bektash Veli’s mystical teachings, believed to have been passed down by Imam Ali (AS) and the Twelve Imams.

Approximately 20 percent of Turkish people are adherents of Alevism, and it is commonly practiced in the neighboring country.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

AFM