The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left), meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on July 19, 2022. (Credit: AFP)
The relationship has experienced a heat wave. The Turkish ambassador to Tehran was summoned on Tuesday, March 4, after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Iran of fomenting "disorder" in the Middle East by relying on armed groups to expand its influence. The statement provoked a response from the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Heydari, denouncing "false claims and unrealistic analyses" that only escalate tensions. Ankara responded by summoning the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Turkey the next day, with Tehran later downplaying the summoning of the Turkish envoy, calling it merely a routine diplomatic exchange."Historically, Iran and Turkey have had fluctuating relations. At times, common interests have favored cooperation, while at other times, divergent priorities have resulted in...
The relationship has experienced a heat wave. The Turkish ambassador to Tehran was summoned on Tuesday, March 4, after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Iran of fomenting "disorder" in the Middle East by relying on armed groups to expand its influence. The statement provoked a response from the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Heydari, denouncing "false claims and unrealistic analyses" that only escalate tensions. Ankara responded by summoning the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Turkey the next day, with Tehran later downplaying the summoning of the Turkish envoy, calling it merely a routine diplomatic exchange."Historically, Iran and Turkey have had fluctuating relations. At times, common interests have favored cooperation, while at other times, divergent priorities have resulted in...