Turkish-Iranian Relations After 2002

Abstract

Iran and Turkey are considered two pivotal countries in their regional environment, and their distinct geographical location has given them geo-strategic importance at the international level, as Turkey can be viewed as Iran’s gateway to the West, and Iran as Turkey’s gateway to the East. Relations between the two countries ranged between a cooperative and competitive nature, due to A number of factors related to the realization of both countries that they possess the internal and external capabilities that enable them to lead the regional system, in addition to the role played by the major powers in stoking Turkish ambition and supporting it in an attempt to encircle Iranian influence after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979,But after 2002, the goals and tools of Turkish foreign policy changed, and Turkey began to seek to dry up the sources of tension and conflict with neighboring countries, and became more inclined towards rapprochement and cooperation with Iran in the complex regional issues, in order to maintain the steady development in economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of maintaining... Energy security, which constitutes a fundamental determinant of Turkish foreign policy trends in light of the growth in indicators of the recovery of the Turkish economy.

However, the events that some Arab countries witnessed after 2011 caused tension in relations between the two countries due to both of them seeking to try to redefine their role in the region and draw new boundaries for their influence, especially in light of the changing nature of a number of ruling regimes, and the emergence of major security threats in the region against the backdrop of Expanding the circle of conflict, especially in Syria.