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  • Undeclared warfare between Iran and Turkey

    Undeclared warfare between Iran and Turkey

    http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/world/2013/08/25/Undeclared-warfare-between-Iran-and-Turkey.html
    Sunday, 25 August 2013 KSA 10:10 - GMT 07:10

    Sunday, 25 August 2013
    Mahir Zeynalov

    Turkey's strange ties with Iran, still presented as a significant
    pillar to the region's stability, have deteriorated into virtual
    unacknowledged warfare, with two countries literally waging a proxy
    war beyond their borders in the region.

    Throughout the last century, Iran and Turkey had difficult times to
    understand how they relate to each other but couldn't risk severing
    ties despite numerous confrontations over a wide range of regional
    issues. In the past few years, Turkish government officials used a
    treaty signed between Ottoman and Iranian delegates in the city of
    Qasr-e Shirin to describe how the borders of the two countries have
    remained unchanged since the agreement was signed in 1639, a widely
    accepted myth.

    Turkish officials frequently refer to the Qasr-e Shirin agreement to
    illustrate how their relationship is solid and based on mutual
    respect. Since the famous agreement, six states have been established
    in both countries (two in Turkey and four in Iran) and the borders had
    changed for ten times, the last time in 1931. Presenting the Qasr-e
    Shirin myth as a cover for a number of wars the two countries fought
    in the past four centuries also characterizes today's relationship
    between Iran and Turkey.

    Unrestrained

    There are privately held views among Turkish government officials that
    Iran should get the wrecking-ball treatment as a way of preserving
    Turkey's national interests.

    Mahir Zeynalov

    While Iranian political and military officials are unrestrained in
    their critical remarks about Turkey, often tantamount to threats,
    Turkish officials are much softer while talking about their
    relationship, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the
    two nations. It is unclear how false description of ties helps prevent
    further confrontation at a time when the two nations are even fighting
    a proxy war in Syria, where more than two years of civil war has left
    at least 100,000 people dead, mostly civilians.

    When Turkey kicked off its ambitious foreign policy in the region
    under the leadership of its popular prime minister, Recep Tayyip
    ErdoÄ?an, his then adviser and later Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu
    tried to assure the neighboring countries that Turkey's rise is
    peaceful and that it only aims to advance peace in the region.
    DavutoÄ?lu's goal was to cultivate relations among countries in
    Turkey's vicinity by abolishing visa requirements, creating free trade
    zones, and constantly holding high-level political consultations.
    Deepening ties with Iran was a cornerstone of this project that is now
    crumbling after Iran has started to sabotage Turkey's interests in the
    region.

    Hero's welcome

    During his visit to Beirut in 2010, ErdoÄ?an received a hero's welcome
    but Turkey's influence in the country has declined precipitously since
    then. Kidnapping of Turkish citizens are on the rise while its
    interests are under great danger. In Iraq, Turkish diplomats had a
    rare ability to talk to every segment of the war-torn nation and
    Turkey conducted a flurry of diplomacy during government formation
    process in 2010. In the case of Syria, the relationship has been one
    of the best success stories of modern times. From the brink of war in
    1999, only prevented thanks to mediation of former Egyptian President
    Hosni Mubarak, to lifting what they called `artificial borders' in
    2010, Turkey slowly drifted Syria out of Iran's orbit of influence,
    contributing to Syria's integration to the Western world.

    In a region of constantly shifting ground, Turkey failed to maintain
    these ties and it still refuses to publicly acknowledge that Iran is
    to blame for much of the foreign policy mess Turkey is involved in in
    neighboring countries.

    Turkey's mistake

    Turkey's mistake was to put too much trust on Iran's conduct of
    foreign policy. Without having any kind of bargaining deal, Ankara
    shielded Iran against the fourth round of U.N. Security Council
    sanctions at the expense of its strategic ties with the United States.
    It also prevented NATO from openly describing its anti-missile radar
    system stationed in Turkey as an installation built against Iran.

    Turkey has received little, if any, in return. Despite Turkey's
    reluctance to cut import of natural gas from Iran as part of
    unilateral sanctions by Washington, Iran charges around $500 for a
    thousand cubic meters of natural gas, more than any of Turkey's gas
    trade partners.

    Iranian officials bash Turkey every week, sometimes issuing
    threatening statements. When inquired, they claim that the officials
    are only expressing their `personal views' and that they don't fit
    into Iran's official policy towards Turkey.

    In Lebanon, Iran's destabilizing role is not unknown. They largely
    bankroll Hezbollah to fight a war on behalf of the Syrian regime
    against rebels backed by Turkey. In Syria, Tehran is providing a
    credit line to Damascus, frequently sends cargo planes full of weapons
    and dispatch military advisers and militants to fight against the
    rebels. Iran's backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is no doubt
    one of the reasons why rebels failed to make progress since April this
    year, a major setback for Turkey's interests.

    Bleak situation

    In Iraq, the situation remains as bleak as ever. Turkey is not talking
    to Baghdad and its companies that used to receive lucrative deals are
    under tremendous pressure by the central government. Since the
    withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in December 2011, Iraqi Prime
    Minister Nouri al-Maliki and ErdoÄ?an have exchanged a war of words,
    both accusing each other of destabilizing Iraq. It is also not
    surprising to see that the Iranian-backed government of Maliki has
    done everything to sabotage Turkish interests in the country despite
    efforts by Washington to reverse this course.

    There are privately held views among Turkish government officials that
    Iran should get the wrecking-ball treatment as a way of preserving
    Turkey's national interests. Failing to recognize that Iran is the
    source of many of the woes that characterize Turkey's ailing foreign
    policy could spell further harm for Ankara's interests. Iran and
    Turkey should start seriously discussing the scope of their relations,
    agree to disagree on a wide array of regional issues and make strict
    `give and take' deals. History has shown time and again to bet on
    Iran's conduct in foreign policy initiatives carries with it risk.


    ______________
    Mahir Zeynalov is an Istanbul-based journalist with English-language
    daily Today's Zaman. He is also the managing editor of the Caucasus
    International magazine. You can follow him on Twitter @MahirZeynalov




    From: A. Papazian
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