Iran-Turkey Relations in the 2000s: Pragmatic Rapprochement

Year 2011, Volume: 11 Issue: 1, 111 - 119, 01.02.2011

Nilüfer Karacasulu İrem Aşkar Karakır

Abstract

The AK Party government’s Middle Eastern approach indicated a change from those of previous governments. Whilst aiming to conduct an active and influential political role in the Middle East, they have attempted to achieve ‘zero problems’ in their relations with neighbors as well as closer contact. This article examines Turkey’s relations with one of the states in the region – Iran. Under modified regional policy, the Turkish government aimed to maintain and expand relations with Iran. Particularly, strategic calculations on security, energy and economy are influential in transformation of the Turkish attitude towards Iran. At the same time, Iran appears willing to improve relations with Turkey for pragmatic reasons. What is evident for both countries is that though they both are tempting to improve mutual relations, they are at the same time searching ways to consolidate their regional role. In this connection, this article argues that there is a pragmatic rapprochement between the two countries. (153 words)

Keywords

Turkey-Iran relations, Turkish foreign policy, AK Party government, Iranian foreign policy, Middle East

References

• Altunışık, M. (2008) “The Possibilities and Limits of Turkey’s soft Power in the Middle East”, Insight Turkey, 10(2): 41-54.
• Associated Press (2000) “Turkey To Buy Iranian Gas”, 2 August.
• Associated Press (2008) “Iran’s Nuclear Negotiator Meets with Turkey’s Foreign Minister”, 22 July.
• Aras, B. & Polat, R. K. (2007) “Turkey and The Middle East: Frontiers of the New Geographic Imagination”, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 61(4): 471-488.
• Aras, B. (2001) “Turkish Foreign Policy Toward Iran: Ideology and Foreign policy in Flux”, Journal of Third World Studies, 18 (1): 87-105.
• Ayman, G. (2006) “Iran Nükleer Krizi ve Turkiye [Iran Nuclear Crisis and Turkey]”, Avrasya Dosyası, 12(2): 25-60.
• Bar, A. (2006) “Turkish Foreign Policy Survey: Directions and Dilemmas in 2007”, Perceptions, 11(3-4): 1-20.
• Barysch, K. (2007) Turkey’s Role in European Energy Security, London: Centre for European Reform Essays.
• BBC News (2008) “Iran Leader in Landmark Iraq Trip”, 2 March.
• Bilici, A. (2008) “Iran Türkiye’yi geçti! (Iran is in front of Turkey)”, Zaman, 12 March.
• Bishku, M. B. (1999) “Turkey and Iran During the Cold War”, Journal of Third World Studies, 16(1): 1-28.
• Byman, D.; Chubin, S., Ehteshami, A. & Green, J. (2001) Iran’s Security Policy in the Post-Revolutionary Era, Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
• Cagatay, S. (2009) “Turkiye, artik o eski Turkiye degil, (Turkey is not the same old Turkey)”, Turkiye Newsweek, 18 January.
• Calabrese, J. (1998) “Turkey and Iran: Limits of a stable Relationship”, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 25(1): 75-94.
• Chehabi, H. E. (2006) Distant Relations: Iran and Lebanon in the Last 500 Years, London: Centre for Lebanese Studies in association with I.B. Tauris Publishers.
• Christian Science Monitor (2006) “Caught in the Fray: Turkey Enters Debate on Iran’s Nuclear Programme”, 2 February.
• Clawson, P. & Michael R. (2005) Eternal Iran: Continuity and Chaos, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Davutoglu, A. (2008) “Turkey’s Foreign Policy Vision: An Assessment of 2007”, Insight Turkey, 10(1): 77-97.
• Economist (2007) “Turkey and Iran: Too Energetic a Friendship”, 23 August.
• Efegil, E. & Stone, L. A. (2003) “Iran and Turkey in Central Asia: Opportunities for Rapprochement in the post-Cold War Era”, Journal of Third World Studies, 20(1): 55-77.
• Emerson, M. & Tocci, N. (2004) “Turkey as a Bridgehead and Spearhead: Integrating EU and Turkish Foreign Policy”, EU Turkey Working Papers, No. 1, Brussels: Centre for European Policy Studies.
• Ehteshami, A. & Raymond, H. A. (2002) Syria and Iran: Middle Powers in a Penetrated Regional System, London: Routledge.
• Guardian (2008) “US must Share Power in New World Order, Says Turkey’s Controversial President”, 16 August.
• Gungor, N. (2008) “Ahmedinejad’s Visit to Turkey: Two Neighbors Oscillate Between Threat and Friendship”, SETA (Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research) Policy Brief, No.23.
• Haberturk Net (2008) “Turkey-Iran Security Meeting Begins”, 15 April.
• Jenkins, G. (2008) “Turkey and Iran Expected to Boost Security Cooperation”, Eurasia Daily Monitor, 14 April.
• Karaca, N. B. (2009) “Iran-Turkiye ilişkileri ve bazı soru işaretleri (Turkey-Iran Relations and some question-marks)”, Haber Turk, 10 October.
• Karmon, E. (1997) “Radical Islamic political groups in Turkey”, Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA), 1(4).
• Kibaroglu, M. (2004), “Iran’s Nuclear Programme may Trigger the Young Turks to Think Nuclear”, http:// www.carnegieendowment.org/npp/publications/index. cfm?fa=view&id=16284, (15. 04. 2009).
• Laqueur, W. (2002) The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction, London: Oxford University Press.
• Larrabee, F. S. (2007) “Turkey Rediscovers the Middle East”, Foreign Affairs, 86(4): 103-114.
• Mango, A. (2005) Turkey and the War on Terror, London and New York: Routledge.
• Oguzlu, T. (2007) “Soft Power in Turkish Foreign Policy”, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 61(1): 81-97.
• Olson, R. (2004) Turkey-Iran Relations 1979-2004: Revolution, Ideology, War, Coups and Geopolitics, Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers.
• Olson, R. (2002a) “Turkey-Iran Relations, 2000-2001: The Caspian, Azerbaijan and the Kurds”, Middle East Policy, 9(2): 111-129.
• Olson, R. (2002b) “The Azeri Question and Turkey-Iran Relations, 2000-2002”, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 8(4): 61-85.
• Olson, R. (2000) “Turkey-Iran Relations, 1997 to 2000: the Kurdish and Islamist Questions”, Third World Quarterly, 21(5): 871-890.
• Ozcan, N. A. (1999) “Iran’ın Türkiye Politikasında Ucuz Ama Etkili bir Manivela: PKK (A Cheap but Influent Level in Turkey Policy of Iran: the PKK)”, Avrasya Dosyası, 5(3): 325- 43.
• Ozacan, G. (2004) “Turkey’s Changing Neighbourhood Policy”, The Turkish Yearbook of International Relations, 35: 1-15.
• Ozel, S. (2009) “Doğu-Batı Terazisinde Denge Şart (Equilibrium is Necessary in East-West Balance)”, Haber Turk, 30 October.
• Ramazani, R. K. (2004) “Ideology and Pragmatism in Iran’s Foreign Policy”, Middle East Journal, 58(4): 1-11.
• Reuters (2008) “Turkey says US Nuclear Policy Strengthens Iran”, 26 January.
• Sarikaya, M. (2009) “Gul’den Eksen Model Tespiti (Gul Discovers Axis Model)”, Haber Turk, 5 November.
• Schleifer, Y. (2006) “Caught in the Fray: Turkey Enters the Debate on Iran’s Nuclear Programme”, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 February.
• Tan, N. (2006) “Iran’ın Nükleer Programı Bağlamında Ülkemizin Nükleer Silah Üretimine Yönelip Yönelmeyeceği Hakkında Dışişleri Bakanlığı Sözcüsü Namık Tan’ın Bir Soruya Cevabı [The Answer of Namik Tan, Foreign Policy Ministry spokesman, to a question: if Turkey will Produce Nuclear Weapons as a Result of Iranian Nuclear Programme]”, http:// www.mfa.gov.tr/sc_2---11-subat-2006_-iran_in-nukleerprogrami-baglaminda_... (20, 04, 2009).
• Tank, P. (2005) “The Effects of the Iraq War on the Kurdish Issue in Turkey”, Conflict, Security and Development, 5(1): 69-86.
• TDN (Turkish Daily News) (2008a) “Turkey, Iran Work Together Against PKK, Gen. Basbug says”, 6 June.
• TDN (Turkish Daily News) (2008b) “Russia Boosts Gas Exports to Turkey After Blast”, 28 May.
• TDN (Turkish Daily News) (2007) “Energy Deal with Iran Dominates PM’s Agenda”, 28 September.
• Turkey Analyst (2008) “Between Political Crises: Turkish Energy Policy”, 23 April.
• Uygur, H. (February 2008) “Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions and Turkey”, Seta Policy Brief, 7: 1-7.
• Vick, K. (2006) “Energy, Iran spur Turkey’s Revival of Nuclear Plans”, Washington Post, 7 March.
• Yetkin, M. (2008) “US Expectations from Turkey and Iran”, Turkish Daily News, 1 May