IRNA, Ihlas to expand cooperation

Tehran, Nov 16, IRNA - The Islamic Republic News Agency and Turkish Ihlas News Agency here on
Sunday called for further expansion of professional cooperation.

IRNA Managing Director, Mohammad-Jafar Behdad and General Manager of
Istanbul-based Ihlas News Agency underscored the need for free flow
news from the Muslim World and reporting the events of the two
neighboring states.

Referring to Iran and Turkey as two influential countries in the
region, Behdad said both IRNA and Ihlas are the two major news
agencies of the region.

He voiced Iranian readiness to boost cooperation with the Turkish news
agency in order to promote peace throughout the globe.

The IRNA chief also called for efforts by the two agencies to correct
the wrong image from Islam and Muslims portrayed by the Western
governments.

Kahraman, whose news agency has been active in the Islamic Republic of
Iran for the past 12 years, for his part, described expansion of
cooperation between the two agencies as "essential".

He added that the two sides share many religious, cultural,
geographical and historical commonalties.

Referring to his meeting with Minister of Culture and Islamic
Guidance, Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, he expressed hope that his
current visit to Tehran would lead to further expansion of cultural
and news cooperation between the two friendly nations.

Mass media of the Muslim states are duty bound to present the correct
image of Islam and Muslims to the world, he added.

Kahraman further invited Behdad to visit Ihlas headquarters in
Istanbul in the near future.