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| The Grand Turk |
| Rivalry over Syria, Iraq widens rift between Turkey and Iran |
| 2011-12-17 |
| While an entire swath of the Arab world is in upheaval in one form or another, two non-Arab nations, Iran and Turkey, are in fierce competition to redefine their leadership roles in the Middle East, further stoking concerns that unrest sweeping the region may risk inciting wider, potentially devastating conflicts. Following a day-long meeting on Thursday, the top Turkish military council said it reviewed the military's preparedness for war, without elaborating on what types of threats the country faces. Observers immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was a message designed to send chills through Tehran and its chief ally Syria. The statement came shortly after a series of threats Iranian officials made against Turkey, although Iran denied they were the Islamic republic's official position. The largely hidden "cold war" between Tehran and Ankara is brewing quickly, bringing with it a greater risk of conflict. The great indulgence granted to Iran's ways and phobias in the face of a nuclear standoff last year between the Islamic republic and the West has reaped a self-destructing harvest, giving leeway to Iran's never-ceasing desire to expand. It would have been unimaginable last year, following Turkey's defense of the Islamic republic to defuse Western threats, to now expect Iran to end its friendship with the NATO member. The current split between Turkey and Iran began with the installment of NATO's early-warning radar system in Turkey and widened as the uprising in Syria looked to oust the leader of Iran's chief ally. Turkish diplomats tossed back and forth the question of whether Iran is a reliable partner, and there was a deep fissure among Turkish intellectuals over IranÂ’s role in TurkeyÂ’s foreign policy decisions. Turkey and Iran have always had trouble describing how they relate to each other. While Turkey was protecting Iran from a growing Western confrontation last year, its policy was calculated to maintain stability in the region, advancing trade and friendly relations. The current upheaval in the Middle East has thrown the Turkish governmentÂ’s much-vaunted zero-problems foreign policy into disarray and spawned a new era of rivalry between Iran and Turkey over Arab lands. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 its policy was calculated to maintain stability in the region, advancing trade and friendly relations No, its policy was calculated to help make Turkey a dominant influence in the muslim world. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2011-12-17 22:15 |
| #1 It's what happens when you don't elect adults. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-12-17 20:57 |