Iran protests put Turkish government in tight spot

Source:al Monitor Date:08Oct2022

Note the concern about spill-over, which I find scary Given the secular segments’ outrage at bans on concerts and festivals, Ankara might also be wary of a potential spillover effect. Gulriz Sen,

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Turkey’s Sinjar strikes carry stern messages to Tehran, Baghdad

Source:al Monitor Date:23Aug2021

Turkey’s back-to-back air raids in Iraq’s Yazidi region of Sinjar this week resonate as stern messages to Tehran and Baghdad as the Turkish-Iranian rivalry appears to escalate on Iraqi territory,

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What has Erdogan learned from Soleimani’s killing?

Source:al Monitor Date:12Jan2020

This article by veteran Turkish political affairs reporter Mrs Pinar Trembley is a jewel. It covers not only Turkey-Iran dynamics, but how skillfully Erdogan needs to balance Iran vs Trump.

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Opinion: Iran’s bloody protests are just the beginning

Source:Deutsche Welle Date:30Nov2019

The backdrop to the fuel-price hike were very likely severe and urgent budget constraints, which would have jeopardized the payment of salaries to state employees, including various security

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Lebanon’s Protests Divide Hezbollah. Will It Strike Back?

Source:Daily Beast Date:19Nov2019

Iraq, Iran and Lebanon are in flames. A corrupt and self-interested political system and rising poverty seem to be the main causes.  Iran’s attempt to spread its Shia revolution appears as

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Is Iran-Turkey rapprochement sustainable?

Source:al Monitor Date:02Oct2019

A high-level bureaucrat from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Al-Monitor, “The most important matter [between Iran and Turkey] is how to find a common ground in Syria. Turkey no

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Post-revolutionary Iran and Turkey at 40: Pragmatism and convergence

Source:Brookings Instituse Date:05Apr2019

For those who wish to understand how  Turkey and Iran can compete  in Syria, but cooperate in economics.   In due course, Turkey learned to co-exist with Iran’s new regime and during the

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Arab League says Turkey and Iran are worsening regional crises

Date:01Apr2019

Iran and Turkey have worsened regional crises and created new problems in Arab countries, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States said on Sunday, urging Arab leaders to unite against

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Turkey Is Changing the Middle East. The U.S. Doesn’t Get It.

Source:Bloomberg Date:16Mar2019

Moreover, if Turkey — finally turning away from Europe after a century of unsuccessful efforts to integrate with the West — fixes its gaze eastward, it could become a regional hegemon as

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Could Turkey Moderate Iran’s Influence Over Iraq?

Source:The National Interest Date:19Feb2019

A controversial but thought-inspiring article.  The bigger question is when Ankara will realize Iran is a rival, rather than ally?   Into this muddle, Turkey is well positioned to provide a

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