Turkish-Iranian relations in a changing Middle East

The Resource Turkish-Iranian relations in a changing Middle East
Label
Turkish-Iranian relations in a changing Middle East
Statement of responsibility
F. Stephen Larrabee, Alireza Nader
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Contributor
Addressee
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Subject
Language
eng
Summary
Turkish-Iranian cooperation has visibly intensified in recent years, thanks in part to Turkish energy needs and Iran's vast oil and natural gas resources. However, Turkey and Iran tend to be rivals rather than close partners. While they may share certain economic and security interests, especially regarding the Kurdish issue, their interests are at odds in many areas across the Middle East. Turkey's support for the opposition in Syria, Iran's only true state ally in the Middle East, is one example. Iraq has also become a field of growing competition between Turkey and Iran. Iran's nuclear program has been a source of strain and divergence in U.S.-Turkish relations. However, the differences between the United States and Turkey regarding Iran's nuclear program are largely over tactics, not strategic goals. Turkey's main fear is that Iran's acquisition of nuclear arms could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. This, in turn, could increase pressure on the Turkish government to consider developing its own nuclear weapon capability. U.S. and Turkish interests have become more convergent since the onset of the Syrian crisis. However, while U.S. and Turkish interests in the Middle East closely overlap, they are not identical. Thus, the United States should not expect Turkey to follow its policy toward Iran unconditionally. Turkey has enforced United Nations sanctions against Iran but, given Ankara's close energy ties to Tehran, may be reluctant to undertake the harshest measures against Iran
Member of
Cataloging source
DLC
Dewey number
327.561055
Funding information
The research described in this report was prepared for the National Intelligence Council ... under Contract W74V8H-06-C-0002.
Index
no index present
LC call number
DR479.I7
LC item number
L37 2013
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
  • dictionaries
  • bibliography
  • technical reports
Series statement
RAND Corporation research report series
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