Pezeşkiyan's message to the morality police: They should no longer interfere with women.

In the second round of the presidential elections held in Iran on July 5th, Mesud Pezeşkiyan, who came to power, held a press conference for the first time since taking office. Following the protests that started after the death of Mahsa Emini, discussions about the relaxation or abolition of the compulsory headscarf law intensified, and a striking statement came from the newly elected Pezeşkiyan.

"THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS"

Pezeşkiyan, when a female reporter who came to ask a question said that she made an effort not to be caught by the morality police called "Irşat patrols" before coming to the program area, he said, "Are the Irşat patrols bothering you again? They should not have done this. We will follow this issue so that they do not bother anyone anymore."

Pezeşkiyan's loose headscarf worn by some female journalists during his first press conference sparked speculation that Iran's new government would take some steps in this regard.

"YES, THEY ARE STILL ON THE STREETS"

Pezeşkiyan, who appeared in front of the cameras for the first time after winning the election, asked if the police were still on the streets when a female journalist described how she changed her route to avoid police vehicles. The female journalist replied, "Yes, they are still on the streets." After the female journalist's response, Pezeşkiyan, who stated that the morality police should not interfere with women, said, "The morality police should not interfere with women. I will follow the situation so that they do not bother women."

"THEY DREW A BORDER BETWEEN US, BUT OUR BELIEFS AND CULTURE ARE ONE"

Iranian President Pezeşkiyan, referring to Turkey-Iran relations, said, "Turkey is our friend and brother. We have kinship relations beyond neighborly relations. They drew a border between us, but this side of the border is the same as the other side. Our beliefs and culture are intertwined. We must definitely strengthen our relations with Turkey."

Pezeşkiyan, stating that they will definitely continue the previous government's policy of prioritizing good relations with neighbors, responded to the question of what they planned to do to achieve the target of a $30 billion foreign trade volume between Turkey and Iran by pointing to joint investments. He said, "It is our desire to have joint investments not only in these two countries but also in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other regional countries. We can create a route where we can easily come to Turkey and you can easily come to Iran and travel to Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan through Iran."

WHO IS PEZEŞKIYAN?

Reformist politician Pezeşkiyan was born on September 29, 1954, in the city of Mahabad, as the child of an Iranian Turkish family, and he proudly expressed his Turkish identity on every occasion. Pezeşkiyan, whose surname means "Doctors" in Persian, graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Tabriz University. He served as both a combatant and a doctor during the Iran-Iraq war, which took place between 1980 and 1988. Pezeşkiyan, who completed his internship course in 1985, continued his education by specializing in general surgery at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences after the war. Pezeşkiyan, who received his specialization in cardiac surgery from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 1993, served as the Rector of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences between 1994 and 1999.