New Regional Dynamics After the Nuclear Deal and Turkey-Iran Relations Panel

3 minute reading time

ORSAM organized a panel, entitled New Regional Dynamics After the Nuclear Deal and Turkey-Iran Relations, on 23 December 2015. The speakers were Prof. Dr. Ahmad Naghibzadeh and Prof. Dr. DavoodFeirahi from Iran Tehran University Law and Political Science Department and Prof. Dr. Muhittin Ataman and Assist. Prof. Dr. BayramSinkayafrom the YıldırımBeyazıt University. ORSAM Director ŞabanKardaş was the moderator of the panel,to which a large audience composed of academics, students, members of embassies, journalists and others interested in the issue attended.
 
Prof. Dr. Naghibzadehstated that Islamic Republic of Iran would preserve its identity despite the nuclear deal and the ideological difference between Iran and the United States of American would not be eliminated. Arguing that there was a deep crisis in the region, he maintained that the conflict between Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia might turn the region into a fireball. Naghibzadehaffirmed that the region would calm down in case Iran would act moderately. He further stated that Turkey and Iran should stand as the two firm pillars of the region and should not engage in competition. Prof. Dr. Muhittin Ataman argued that Iran changed its discourse of Islamic unity with the Syria crisis and this led to a tension between Iran, Turkey and Arabs. He stated that the factors that produce groups such as DAESH should be eliminated and this could be possible with strengthening the state structures in the region. Ataman emphasized that the economic fragility which rendered regional actors dependent on the global actors could only be eliminated by strengthening the mutual economic dependence of Turkey and Iran and increasing the trade volume between the two countries. Prof. Dr. Feirahi enumerated five factors that were responsible from the regional chaos: historical distrust between the regional countries, provocative policies conducted in the name of security, terrorism, external powers in the region, and Israel’s policies. According to Feirahi, although nuclear deal affirmed that Iran was not a nuclear threat, some circleswere still promoting Iran-phobia.Lastly, Assist. Prof. Dr. BayramSinkaya mentioned the media’s negative role in the Turkey-Iran relations. Emphasizing that both Turkey and Iran were pluralist societies, he argued that different groups tend to frame the relations in line with their own interests. He pointed out the importance of unifying these different approaches. Sinkaya further stated that,until recently, Turkey and Iran opted for compartmentalization of their relations and by leaving aside the ideological differences the two states were engaged in areas of cooperation. Sinkaya mentioned that currently the threat of sectarianism to bilateral and regional relations was the common concern for both countries. The panel ended with question and answer session.