A new border crossing between Turkey and Iran was opened on Saturday. Turkish officials made a friendship for eternity between the peoples of Turkey and Iran pledge.  

The new crossing is between Kapýköy in eastern Anatolia's Van province and Iran's West Azerbaijan province.

The Kapýköy-Razi border gate issue has always been on the agenda of talks between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and Iranian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in recent years, Davutoðlu said in his speech at the inauguration ceremony.

“The fundamental principle we have applied in foreign policy for eight years is deepening friendships, intensifying and growing fraternity. This is why we have a ‘zero problem policy.’ This is why we said border gates are not walls for us, but doors of fraternity. We said we will make all doors with our neighbors, particularly with Iran, doors of friendship and fraternity,” Davutoðlu was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency. “We said that in this way, let siblings meet, mingle with each other; and let the fraternity which comes from the depths of history be transferred to the future generations. These principles have come true with the opening of Kapýköy,” Davutoðlu said.

The Turkish minister announced that a fourth crossing between Esendere, Hakkari and Sero, Orumeyeh, would be opened in June and that the Maku crossing will follow. A fifth will follow at Dilucu, Iðdýr, in the coming months, Davutoðlu added. “In this way, all doors between Iran and Turkey will be opened. In this way historical friendships will solidify and will be transferred on to future generations,” he said.

“Our prime minister has set a target of $30 billion” in annual trade with Iran, he also said.