Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s scheduled visit to Turkey on Tuesday has been postponed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's scheduled visit to Turkey on Tuesday has been postponed, a Turkish foreign ministry official told media outlets.

"There has been a change in the program," the official said without giving any reason.

Zarif had been due to meet Turkey's leaders in the capital Ankara on Tuesday.

Although the Turkish side cited scheduling problems for the postponement, some media outlets claimed the visit was delayed because of an article Zarif penned for Turkish opposition daily Cumhuriyet.

In the piece published Tuesday, he criticized US policies in the Middle East.

Turkey and the United States are NATO allies that have agreed to cooperate on Syria. Last month Turkey agreed to open up a southern base to US and coalition forces for bombings against Islamic State militants.

Turkey and Iran are on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, with western media reports stating that Ankara is one of the several countries in the region -- including Saudi Arabia and Qatar -- that are orchestrating the conflict by supporting the terrorist groups with money, logistics and training.