Visiting Centers and Institutes of Islamic Studies in Istanbul, the Secretary-General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought stated: "The interaction of religious scholars is an effective step for the unity of the Islamic Ummah".

According to the Public Relations of Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, the Secretary-General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, who has travelled to Turkey at the head of an Iranian delegation, visited Centers and Institutes of Islamic Studies in Istanbul and met with Adel Bour, the director of Haski Center for Religious Studies in Istanbul.

The Importance of Transmission of Thought between of the Scholars of Iran and Turkey

In this meeting, emphasizing on the need for Islamic cooperation, Ayatollah Araki pointed out the prominent role of this cooperation in creating unity among the Islamic Ummah and stated: "We hope that in cooperation with the scholars of the Islamic world we will be able to take an important step towards the unity of the Islamic Ummah".

The Secretary-General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought added: "Today, given the actions of the Takfiris in the Islamic world and the attacks of the enemies of the Islamic world, there is no religious duty and obligation more important than the unity among the Islamic Ummah and an effective step can be taken only by cooperation among the Islamic scholars for creating the unity among the Islamic Ummah".

Referring to the importance of transmission of thought between of the scholars of Iran and Turkey, Ayatollah Araki stated: "The scholars have a great responsibility in this regard and I hope that with the cooperation of the scholars we will be able to take effective steps to increase cooperation in the field of unity among the Islamic Ummah".

The Focus of Iran and Turkey on Academic and Thinking Issues

In this meeting, Adel Bour, the director of Haski Center for Religious Studies in Istanbul, stated: "Today, the Islamic world is faced with serious problems and the recent stunning developments have put the Muslim world in one of the most sensitive and critical sections of the Islamic history".

He continued: "The problems ahead are not related to Islam and religious education and teachings, but are originated from other issues and if Iran and Turkey can concentrate on academic and thinking issues, they can help to solve the problems of the Islamic world".

Emphasis on Dialogue between the Scholars of the Two Countries

In this meeting, referring to negotiations and agreements with Mehmet Görmez, the President of the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Seyed Mahdi Mostafavi, a member of the Strategic Council for Foreign Relations of the Supreme Leaders Office, emphasized on the need to operationalize the agreements especially dialogue between the scholars of Iran and Turkey.

Following the meeting, reviewing the issues of joint cooperation in the fields of religious and Islamic sciences and the activities of the two centers, both sides exchanged their information and emphasized on new strategies and constructive interactions and developing academic cooperation.

According to this report, in this meeting Manouchehr Mottaki, the former Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakhtiar Asadzadeh, the Iranian Consul General in Istanbul, Hassan Safarkhani, the Iranian cultural attaché in Ankara, Abdol Reza Rashed, the Iranian cultural attaché in Istanbul, Hujjat al-Islam Nabavian, the Cultural Deputy of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, Lakizadeh, the Director General for Asia- Pacific Affairs of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, Sheikh Ahmadinia, an Iranian Sunni scholar, and Jebreil Mohammadzadeh, an expert of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Turkey, were also present.

It is noteworthy that Ayatollah Araki during his visit to Istanbul will visit Research Centers of Religious Sciences such as Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), and will meet the Chief Mufti of Istanbul and the president of the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University.