TEHRAN (Today’s Zaman)—Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in Tehran on Tuesday for talks with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki where he told the head Iranian diplomat that Ankara’s relationship with Tehran is “very special.”
Speaking at a joint press conference, Davutoglu said that he held comprehensive talks with Mottaki on Tuesday and that identical meetings would continue in the future.
“We reached excellent economic, political and cultural relations with Iran. During our talks on Tuesday, we went over our relations,” Davutoglu said. “We discussed ways to increase our mutual trade volume of 10 billion USD to 20 billion USD soon. Our relations will keep growing.”
Davutoglu said that “important developments” were taking place in the region that required joint attention from Iran and Turkey. “Important developments in the region have to do with the elections in Iraq, the post-election status and efforts to form a government in Iraq.”
“Iraq is an important friend and neighbor of both Turkey and Iran. Iraq’s establishment of internal stability and support of its neighbors without interfering in Iraq’s domestic issues are crucial for a strong regional atmosphere,” he added.
Iran’s Nuclear Program
Davutoglu said the most important item on his trip’s agenda was Iran’s nuclear program. “I shared my observations at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C. with our Iranian friends,” he said.
“Turkey has a special responsibility in all issues on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council as a member of the Council. Turkey is especially interested in issues pertaining to Iran. Turkey has always made it clear that nuclear technology should be the right of every country as long as it is used for peaceful purposes,” Davutoglu said.
“Nonetheless, nuclear weapons should be opposed any where in the world as these weapons are a threat to humanity,” he added. “The way to resolve uneasiness should be through diplomacy and not mutual tensions, military options or sanctions.”
“Resolving debates on Iran’s nuclear program would contribute to both regional and global peace,” Davutoglu said.
Possible New Sanctions
In response to a question on whether Turkey would support new US-led sanctions against Iran, Davutoglu said that Turkey was a country in the UN Security Council, a neighbor of Iran and a country with deep historical relations.
“Turkey is the country that would be affected the most by decisions taken on Iran at the UN Security Council. We are trying to resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program before any sanctions are brought to the agenda of the Council. Our regional vision is based on high volume of economic relations, high level dialogue in the Middle East, mutual economic dependency, and turning the region into one of prosperity and stability,” Davutoglu said.
Davutoglu said Turkey is among the largest economies in the region and has to protect “her interests with neighboring countries, including with Iran.”
“We believe that there is still a great chance for diplomacy,” he stressed.
“Through diplomacy, we believe that we can prevent all other possible negative developments and find new alternatives. God willing, we will create solutions with Iran and the international community,” Davutoglu said.
Mottaki, in his part, said that Davutoglu and he discussed bilateral relations, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine.
“We had a chance to exchange views with Davutoglu,” Mottaki said.
Davutoglu later met with the Secretary General of Iran’s Supreme National Council and chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.
What happened to this so called “special partner” status Turkey supposedly shares with Iran during the Iran and Iraq war when Turkey was helping Iraq smuggle Western made weapons to shoot at Iranians? Also, let's not forget the heavily sanctioned years Iran underwent post 1979 revolution during which Turkey was nowhere to be found.
Iranians are not stupid, and neither is the rest of the world. After 30+ years of political and economical isolation, Iran is on the verge of becoming a regional power via nuclear arms. Turkey knows this and is already playing the ever so famous “we're your Muslim brothers” card in order to curry favor in advance from Iran.
Turkeys close ties to NATO for the past 50 years have put Turks in a position in which they know they can NEVER attain a nuclear arsenal or power. The next best thing is to have a nuclear Iran as a “muslim brother”. However, by courting Iran in a double cross against the west and NATO sponsors, Turkey hopes to be on the “winning side” once the smoke clears and Iran has successfully tested and proved to the world that it is nuclear capable.
How Iranians will react to all of this recent “brown nosing” by Turks is uncertain. If they are smart, they will remember EXACTLY how indifferent Turkey has been toward them and respond to all of Turkey's courting offers with “Thanks but NO THANKS”! Turkey is playing a very risky game here, burning bridges with the West and Israel left and right while simultaneously trying to build bridges with an Iran which Turkey itself hurt in the past via going along with economic isolation/political pressure from NATO.
If Iran plays it smart and tells Turkey to kiss off, the Turks might just find themselves between the proverbial “rock and a hard place” or in this case, between a disgruntled NATO and a uninterested Iran with Israel simultaneously giving them the finger. Oh how SWEET it is !
Norin Radd, that was another time, another era. But given you've raised the question of Turkey's support and respect for Iran, where is Armenia or the Armenian lobby today providing any support for Tehran. Are they making any sacrifices for Tehran, voicing any support to there most strategic ally????? True that Turkey is not supporting Iran because of any loyalty to Tehran or Muslim solidarity, it is pursuing its own interests (mainly oil, gas, and exports to Iran). Any sanctions on Tehran would hurt Turkey more than any other country. I do truelly hope that one day Armenians and Turks can reopen their borders, something tells me that once the people of both countries start to meet, socialise and intertwine with each other, the hot temperature in our relations will start to cool. Enough people have died, Turks and Armenians, we need to avoid conflict at all cost and revive relations. This is what is best for Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. But if recognition of the Armenian genocide is a pre-condition, this well never happen, sadly. Murat_1983@live.com
This is what happens when America sleeps.Turkey deploying anti-aircraft missles in both Iran and Syria.The U.S. response,send Isreal 205 billion dollars for defence. Maybe,after the Russians are done helping the Turks build a nuclear power plant,the Turks can give the Iranians a hand building a BOMB!!! The saddest thing really is the fact that America,politicians and people,are so willfully blind to whats going on.