US made big mistake by assassinating Soleimani: Turkey’s Patriotic Party head

The head of Turkey’s Vatan Partisi (Patriotic Party), Dogu Perincek, has hailed Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), as a hero who played a major role in assisting regional countries fight foreign occupation and terrorism.

The Turkish MP made the remark in a meeting with Hassan Ameli, representative of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in Istanbul on Monday.

The meeting was held to discuss the importance of the fight against the United States and Israel, following the assassination of General Soleimani in a US airstrike in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, early Friday.

“He was a great hero and lost his life for the safety, serenity and peace of all of us. Soleimani left behind legacy of heroism and we remember him here with respect,” the Turkish MP said.

“We share the pain of the Iranian nation, the humanity and the Muslim world,” he added.

General Soleimani was assassinated in a US strike in Baghdad on Friday, alongside Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units.

The Iranian general was a globally famous defense strategist who played a key role in the counter-terrorism operations that led to the collapse of the Daesh terror group in Iraq and Syria.

His assassination has drawn a wave of condemnation from officials and movements across the world, and triggered furious public protests in denunciation of the heinous act.

Perincek also said the United States has made a "big folly" by assassinating Soleimani, adding that even Washington’s allies in the region have turned against it.  

“The US united the whole West Asia, and even its allies are now against it. We believe in Iran’s power of resistance and its heroism …The US will get out … Our martyr left us such a path and such a light that in the near future Western Asia would be cleared of America,” he stated.

Perincek further noted the Iraqi parliament has made “a very good decision” to expel US troops from its soil, expressing hope that other countries in the region follow suit.   

On Sunday, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country following the assassination of General Soleimani and al-Muhandis.  

The Sunday vote came as many Iraqi figures and parliamentary factions have been long demanding the withdrawal of US troops from the country, specifically following a series of unclaimed airstrikes on PMU forces.

‘Soleimani is the martyr of humanity’

For his part, Ameli also stressed that General Soleimani was a great commander, adding that he did not belong to Iran only as he was the “martyr of humanity.”

He further said a harsh revenge will definitely be taken against the criminals who assassinated General Soleimani, noting it would be a great lesson to the United States.

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