MESOP NEWS Iran Daily: Will Tension With Turkey End Syria Cooperation?

February 20 – eaworldview – Scott Lucas – A dispute between Iran and Turkey could threaten the co-operation between the two countries, along with Russia, for a resolution of Syria’s six-year crisis.On Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi lashed out at Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, declaring that Turkey and certain other “delusional” countries are responsible for instability and insecurity in the Middle East.

Qassemi was piqued by Cavusoglu’s remarks at the Munich Security Council about an an Iranian “sectarian policy” aimed at undermining Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. “Turkey is very much against any kind of division, religious or sectarian,” the Foreign Minister declared.

Qassemi responded, “Those who have carried out meddlesome, illegal and illegitimate measures, supported terrorist groups and caused bloodshed and escalation of tensions and instability in the region cannot evade liability for such moves by playing a blame game.” He added that these countries “cannot free themselves from their self-imposed quagmire by leveling accusations against others”.

Turkey and Iran have been drawn together since last summer by a Russian-Turkish reconciliation pursuing a nominal ceasefire and the brokering of talks between the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition. Iran, the essential backer of the Assad regime alongside Russia, has been cautious about the initiative and even tried to check it in December. However, in recent weeks Tehran has joined Moscow and Ankara in the declaration of a joint approach promoting the renewed talks.But last week that co-operation hit a snag at discussions in the Kazakhstan capital Astana. Turkey supported the opposition-rebel bloc’s call to concentrate on the establishment of a substantive ceasefire, release of detainees, and end to sieges before any discussion of wider political arrangements.

Russia is pressing for consideration of a new constitution, but the opposition-rebel bloc believes this is an effort putting a priority on President Assad remaining in power, a concern heightened by the UN’s dropping of “political transition” as a goal of the process. www.mesop.de