ISLAMABAD: “Turkiye and Iran are natural partners because of their close proximity to each other”, marked Fatemeh Asadi, a foreign affairs specialist based in Tehran. She was speaking to an event organized by Institute of Regional Studies Islamabad to discuss the prospects of Turkiye and Iran collaboration in the Middle East.
Speaking to a wide range of audience, Asadi viewed that Syrian situation was volatile and required attention by regional stakeholders. She was of the opinion that no country could influence Syria completely and therefore, it was in the interest of regional stakeholders to find common grounds. She rejected the notion of Iran’s weakness and instead opined that Iran’s priorities had changed vis-à-vis the region and that Iran now sought pragmatism in its relations. Since Israel seeks the division of Syria which could cause instability in the entire region, Turkiye finds in Iran a feasible partner to keep Syria unified, Asadi pointed out.
Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies (USA), argued that despite having upper hand in its relations with Iran, Turkiye sought to manage the bilateral relations. However, the partnership between Turkiye and Iran is limited since Turkiye desires to keep the US on board as well, Ambassador Brown noted. He also viewed the increased fragmentation in the geopolitical landscape with the possible emergence of KSA-UAE arrangement that could be detrimental to Turkiye’s interests in Syria. Finally, Ambassador Brown highlighted that if Syria fails to form an inclusive government, it could lead to renewed sectarian tensions which might force the US to disengage from the Turkiye-backed setup in the country.
Ferahim Eliyev, Research Fellow at Crescent Research Center Azerbaijan, described Turkiye-Iran partnership as tactical based on realpolitik instead of any ideology. Turkiye views Israeli actions as destabilizing in the region and therefore, is willing to cooperate with Iran to manage the Syrian crisis, he added. Eliyev also outlined that Turkiye wanted to present itself as a credible mediator between the new administrator in Syria and Iran and that’s why, the partnership between the two is situational. Furthermore, Turkiye is adamant to continue cooperating with Iran in economic sphere despite sanctions which makes their bilateral partnership in Syria even more crucial.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
