Iranian trains won’t cross Turkey’s border unless security is guaranteed

Iranian trains won’t leave for destinations across the border in Turkey as long as Turkish authorities do not provide official explanation about last week’s incidents and guarantee the security of Iranian trains, Managing Director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Hassan Mousavinejad said Sunday.

The following is the translation of an excerpt of the report the Iranians Students’ News Agency filed on Mousavinejad’s comments on August 2:

In the first incident, an explosion hit a Turkish train carrying Iranian passengers and damaged the railroad and rendered it impassable, he said, adding: “Iran sent an empty train across the border to Turkey to evacuate the passengers. Although Turkish officials had verbally guaranteed the security of the second train, that one came under attack too.

“That means the security problems railroad travel is exposed to in Turkey are far from settled, thus the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways has decided to stop sending trains across the border unless it is assured there will be no security problems.”

He went on to say Turkish authorities have yet to issue an official report on these incidents.

No one has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks, but a Turkish news agency has reported that PKK has been behind the explosions.