Turkey and Iran tend to be rivals rather than close partners, despite sharing certain economic and security interests. For instance, Turkey supports the opposition in Syria, while Iran supports the regime. Turkey is further concerned about a possible nuclear arms race in the Middle East. U.S. and Turkish interests in the region closely overlap, but the United States should not expect Turkey to follow its policy toward Iran unconditionally.

Turkey and Israel are two of the most important countries in the Middle East, but also are outsiders to the region for political and cultural reasons. Here Bengio examines the historic, geo-strategic and political-cultural roots of the Turkish-Israeli relationship, from the 1950s until today. Linking the relationship's evolution to the complexities of Turkey's historical ties with the Arab world, and changing domestic, regional and global conditions, the book traces the ebb and flow of the curious ties between the two countries. Bengio calls for a significant revision in the received wisdom about inter-Arab and Arab-Israeli conflicts and rivalries, placing Turkey in a more central role. The book approaches Middle Eastern affairs from inside the region, based on Turkish, Israeli and Arab sources, providing a much needed corrective to American - and British - centered accounts.

From the recent tensions in the relationship between Turkey and Iran, a thorny path awaits Turkish-Iranian affairs, unless Iran chooses to focus not on diverging self-interests, but a cooperative policy with Turkey to promote peace and stability in the region. But this alternative future might be fading due to current debacles. Turkish-Iranian relations came under significant strain with the escalation of tensions in Syria and also took a steep plunge after two other events with significant impact on the region’s security. The first incident came with Turkey’s acceptance to join the NATO missile shield program, and in 2011 Ankara decided to allow NATO’s early warning anti-missile radar system to be set up in the town of Kürecik, Southeastern Turkey, as part of the NATO capability. At that time, Turkey was criticized for turning her face to the East, although this was purely economic development; however, the decision to allow an anti-missile system on Turkish soil was an indication that Turkey is still close to her Western alliance. One should also never lose sight of that in Turkish-Iranian relations, Turkey’s maneuver area in the East–West pendulum affords Turkish foreign policy a rare flexibility. Unlike the Turkish case, Iran’s animosity towards the West denies Tehran such flexibility in its foreign relations. Furthermore, Iran’s resistance to the Arab uprisings and the way in which it deals with its own domestic situation introduces a curious ontological discussion. In fact, in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings, the Mullah regime has been confronted by a deeper crisis than is visible from outside. The recent tension that we have observed in Turkish-Iranian relations is in fact a projection of this crisis. The fact that Turkey will always maintain its Western identity means that a new status quo in Turkish-Iranian affairs will never develop until Iran confronts and settles its domestic discontent. Iran is at a fundamental crossroads today. The foreign policy decisions that Tehran will take is going to have irrevocable ramifications for the region and its partners. If the Iranian regime chooses to follow a more cooperative foreign and regional policy, the stability and prosperity blanket that Turkey has weaved will create a conducive environment for Iran to merge its capacity with others and work towards the common welfare of the region. However, if Tehran opts for nation building and sectarian policies, the regime will risk the deterioration of its constructive relations with steadfast patrons and partners like Turkey.

The author emphasizes that, in addition to the Palestine-Israel conflict, the significance of the oil and gas resources of the Middle East and the U.S. and British occupation of Iraq, relations between Turkey and Iran are vital to understanding the politics of the Middle East and the future of the region."--BOOK JACKET.

Preface -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Background -- 3. Historical and Geostrategic Context -- 4. Turkey, the Kurds, and Relations with Iraq -- 5. Turkey and Iran -- 6. Turkey, Syria, and the Water Crisis -- 7. Turkey and the Middle East Peace Process -- 8. Conclusion: Turkey's Future Role in the Middle East -- Conference Participants -- About the Author -- About the Institute.

The foreign policies of Turkey and Iran seem increasingly to dictate the course of events in the Middle East. More recently, and especially following the Syrian crisis, the spotlight has turned to these states' dynamic re-entry onto the political stage, revealing them as key players with an international role in efforts towards the balance of power across the region. This book traces the major determinants of Turkish and Iranian foreign policies and their influence on events in the Middle East. Based on an examination of these states' politics and policies since 1979, and using material gathered from interviews with leading political figures from Turkey, Iran and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Marianna Charountaki offers fresh insights into how we understand the contemporary global order. Of particular importance, this book shows, is the effect of both external and internal factors on foreign policy and how the interaction between state and non-state actors informs political decisions. In placing these issues in a theoretical framework, Marianna Charountaki pioneers a new conceptual map within International Relations. An interdisciplinary study that provides a fresh new perspective, this book will be of particular interest to scholars of International Relations, Politics, Foreign Policy, Kurdish and Middle East Studies.

This volume examines contemporary political relations between Turkey and the Middle East. In the light of the Arab Uprisings of 2011, the Syria Crisis, the escalation of regional terrorism and the military coup attempt in Turkey, it illustrates the dramatic fluctuations in Turkish foreign policy towards key Middle Eastern countries, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Iraq. The contributors analyze Turkey’s deepening involvement in Middle Eastern regional affairs, also addressing issues such as terrorism, social and political movements and minority rights struggles. While these problems have traditionally been regarded as domestic matters, this book highlights their increasingly regional dimension and the implications for the foreign affairs of Turkey and countries in the Middle East.