Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu gestures as he attends a news conference after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Arseny Yatseniuk in Kiev, Ukraine February 15, 2016. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will travel to Iran this week on an official visit, his office said, a visit that could offer the neighbors an opportunity to discuss their sharply different views on the war in Syria.

Tehran, along with Russia, supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey is among his most outspoken critics and backs the Sunni opposition. Turkey is also close to Saudi Arabia, which has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran.

Despite their differences, Turkey and Iran have largely maintained cordial diplomatic relations. Davutoglu will travel to Iran on March 4 and 5, according to a statement from his office.