Turkey has warned the United States that the embargo imposed on Iran is a “mistake” and Washington “does not have the right” to force other countries to implement its unilateral decision, the Turkish foreign minister has said. “The United States may take a decision, but it’s not right to impose this decision on other countries. We will continue our principled attitude,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told state-run Anadolu Agency on Friday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conveyed Ankara’s stance with regard to the Iran issue to his US counterpart Donald Trump and to a delegation of US senators who recently visited Turkey, Cavusoglu added.
“The implementation of sanctions against Iran will have a negative impact on the entire region and is extremely dangerous,” Cavusoglu added. Ankara has criticized Washington’s hardline policy toward Tehran, and with Turkey’s cooperation seen as vital to enforcing US sanctions against Iran, analysts say a new confrontation could be looming.
A senior adviser to Erdogan, speaking on condition of anonymity, said “Turkey will only enforce UN sanctions and no other. Turkey is not going to be used for other countries’ agendas,” VOA reported on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump earlier this year vowed to enforce tough economic sanctions against Tehran after withdrawing from an international agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
Not Wanting to Take Sides
Analysts say that while Turkey and Iran are historically regional rivals, Ankara is wary of being sucked into any confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
“Turkey shares a border with Iran, it has had difficult relations with Iran over many centuries,” said Sinan Ulgen, head of the Istanbul-based Edam think tank. “But at the same time, it knows it will continue to live side by side with Iran, and it recognizes the role of Iran in the region. Therefore, it does not want to take sides in a conflict between Iran and the US.”
Turkish-Iranian relations often are characterized as an uneasy mix of cooperation and rivalry. Energy-poor Turkey relies on Iran’s oil and is the largest importer of Iranian natural gas.
New Cabinet
Erdogan on Monday is due to announce his new cabinet, which will report directly to him under Turkey’s new executive presidency.
International relations Professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University suggests a new approach could be in the offing.
“Ibrahim Kalin is likely to be the new foreign minister, and if there is a new foreign minister, there is a new attitude in general to Russia, to America and the Europe Union. We may expect that Turkey will not be so confrontational, but rather cooperative in several fields.”
Personal chemistry between the US and Turkish presidents also could play a part in achieving a diplomatic breakthrough, he said.
