Relations between Iran and Turkey have always been tense in the South Caucasus, due to Ankara's support of Azerbaijan. On December 15, 2020, following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War from September 27 to November 10 of that year, in which Turkish-backed Azerbaijan defeated Armenia, the Iranian reformist newspaper Shargh published an interview, titled "In Turkey's Strategy, Iran Is The Most Important Rival," with Sadeq Maleki, an Iranian expert on Turkish affairs. In the interview, Maleki stated that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wishes to divide Iran and to annex Azerbaijan to Turkey in order to form Greater Turkistan. Maleki also stated that Erdoğan is trying to "establish Neo-Ottomanism," which differentiates itself from Ottomanism in its geopolitical perception. According to Maleki, while the old Ottomanism looked to expand to the gates of Vienna and to the West, Erdoğan's Neo-Ottomanism has its view toward the East. Maleki further explained that Iran is opposing Turkey's expansionism eastward and this is why Iran is Turkey's main rival.
On December 10, 2020, Erdoğan went to Baku to preside over a military parade organized to celebrate Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh.[1] On that occasion, addressing the Victory Parade, Erdoğan recited a poem that Iran regarded as support for the secession of parts of Iran populated by ethnic Azeris. "They separated the Aras [River] and filled it with sand. I would never separate from you, and they separated you by force," the poem reads. Erdoğan's recitation of the poem angered Tehran and received strong condemnation from the Iranian government and media.
As the Syria crisis intensifies, showing a further drift between Turkey and Iran, MEMRI is republishing from its archives certain articles on how Iran views Turkey's foreign policy.
(Source: Cnnturk.com)
Iranian Academic Rohollah Eslami: "[Turkey] Has Laid The Groundwork To Establish [Islamic] Unity Within The Orbit Of Ottomanism"
On February 18, 2021, Iranian academic Dr. Rohollah Eslami, assistant professor at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, wrote an article, titled "Azerbaijan Is The Head Of Iran," criticizing President Erdoğan for pursuing a "racist" and "expansionist" foreign policy, and promoting the "Idea of Iran."
Followıng are excerpts of Eslami's article:
"...Turkey pursues its racist foreign policy in the context of its expansionist behavior. It conducts military maneuvers in the region of Aran [i.e., Armenia and Azerbaijan] and later, in assisting Azerbaijan, it unilaterally attacks Nagorno-Karabakh, without the consent of Iran or even following diplomatic protocol, and beats the drums of war and ethnicity. In the meantime, the problem [of Azerbaijan] is intertwined in historical, ethnic, cultural, religious, and identity issues and to not untie this knot can jeopardize Iran's national interest. This is especially true when Erdoğan recites a poem by an Iranian poet during the military and victory parade and, as usual, he distorts history and takes advantage of Iranian culture to cover his aim to achieve Ottomanism and ethnocentrism.
"Turkey Plays A Role: Turkish foreign policy is not ideologically closed: It uses any means possible to gain influence in the region. In the Caucasus, it pursues Pan-Turkism and in the Islamic world it has laid the groundwork to establish [Islamic] unity within the orbit of Ottomanism. Merely in dealing with Israel and the U.S., it gains advantages, while following modern approaches in its attempt to enter the European Union. A close analysis of the expressed views and opinions [of Turkey] and of the orbit of influence around its national interest illustrates Turkey's ability to play a major role in its relations with its neighbors.
"This method can be used to increase or decrease the strategic indicators in the region and is very conducive to obtain advantages and regional expansionism. However, Erdoğan's mistakes and distortions were met with a quick reaction from his citizens and power elites, and he was reminded of what Stalin could not achieve in 1946 by using Marxist ideology, and that was a big bite for Erdoğan to chew.
"Azerbaijan Is The Head And Intellect Of Iran: This ethnic, expansionist, and war-mongering behavior of Turkey in the Nagorno-Karabakh matter, especially the boastful remarks that are deemed to be distortive, endangers the national interest of Iran. The Aran region, which has throughout history been part of the territory of Iran, and the Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia that were separated by force from Iran by Russian military occupation, lack the 'Idea of Iran' and are now at war despite Iran's peaceful stance.
"The approach of Erdoğan and Turkey is based on ethnicity, while for Iran, Azerbaijan is its head and intellect. Azerbaijan is the most nationalistic and elitist part of Iran and the cradle of Iran's constitution and modernization. The majestic rule of Zarathustra was in Azerbaijan and famous poets such as Molavi and Nezami protected Iran's foundation from this area. Therefore, the unilateral, racist, and war-mongering acts of Turkey toward Iran has given the appearance of making Turkey a player in the region, but from a point of view of the rules of neighborly conduct, it follows a policy of distortion and conflict..."
See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9185, Iranian Academic Rohollah Eslami: 'Turkey Pursues Its Racist Foreign Policy In The Context Of Its Expansionist Behavior'; To Counter The Threat, The Iranian Government Must Prioritize The 'Idea Of Iran' And Its National Interest, February 18, 2021.
Iranian Expert Sadeq Maleki: "Perhaps Turkey Cannot Establish Neo-Ottomanism In The Mold Of The Ottoman Empire, But It Can Have A Very Disruptive Role In The Middle East"
On December 15, 2020, the Iranian reformist newspaper Shargh published an interview, titled "In Turkey's Strategy, Iran Is The Most Important Rival," with Sadeq Maleki, an Iranian expert on Turkish affairs.
Below are excerpts of Maleki's article:
"At this time, Erdoğan is active in a wide geographic region stretching from Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Syria and Iraq and even in a dispute with Greece. At times he challenges Europe and the United States. This Erdoğan follows a policy of creating a Neo-Ottomanism. But this Neo-Ottomanism is different from the former Ottomanism. The old Ottomanism was looking to expand to the gates of Vienna and to the West. This Neo-Ottomanism has its view toward the East. What country in the East can stand up to or oppose Turkey? That country is Iran; therefore in any Turkish strategy, Iran has always been Turkey's main rival. Sometimes, this rivalry resulted in positive interaction bringing positive results; other times, the interaction was negative resulting in animosity. We can say that the proxy war in Syria was the cause for changing rivalry to enmity.
"The poem that Erdoğan recited about the Aras River shows his true motivation. Even in official meetings, the Turks raise the point that after Istanbul, Tehran has the highest Turkish population, even though the Iranian Turks are the foundation of modern Iran. Their view is based on the physical similarities and identical language. Erdoğan and like-minded people have not understood, or pretend not to know, that Iranian Turks identify themselves as Iranians. This concept has created a false illusion in the minds of Erdoğan and other like-minded people. This illusory Pan-Turkism approach, which stems from the unspoken policy, becomes evident in events such as the victory parade in Baku. The events that we witnessed in Baku shows the backward thinking of Erdoğan who seeks to divide Iran. Though Erdoğan never utters this idea, but the poem that he recited is the road map, in the near or far future that he will pursue to achieve his goals...
"Perhaps Turkey cannot establish Neo-Ottomanism in the mold of the Ottoman Empire, but it can have a very disruptive role in the Middle East and we have seen [Erdoğan] play this role. Some people do not believe that Turkey can achieve these goals, but we are witnesses to the fact that he has ascertained some of his aims in the area..."
See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9111, Iranian Expert Sadeq Maleki: 'The Old Ottomanism Was Looking To Expand To The Gates Of Vienna And To The West, [Erdoğan's] Neo-Ottomanism Has Its View Toward The East', December 29, 2020.
IRGC-Affiliated Javan Daily: Erdoğan "Is In Pursuit Of Creating His Delusional State,' His 'Imaginary New Ottoman Empire"
On December 12, 2020, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Javan daily published an editorial, titled "The Delusional Sultan," accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with his "multiple military adventures" ranging from the Horn of Africa and Mediterranean to the Caucasus, of being in pursuit of creating his "delusional state."
Below are excerpts of Javan's article:
"The ambitious Turkish president, with his multiple military adventures ranging from the Horn of Africa and Mediterranean to the Caucasus, is in pursuit of creating his delusional state. This time he has taken blind aim at Iran's beloved Azerbaijan. With a recitation of a separatist-inspiring poem in Baku, the theme of which, in his view, was the violation of the territorial integrity of Iran and the cessation of Azerbaijan. He tried to include this area in his imaginary 'New Ottoman' empire. Erdoğan's delusional separatist views, even though his tenure in power is due to Iranian support, were strongly condemned by the Foreign Ministry. The Turkish ambassador in Tehran was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain the remarks.
"Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president, who in recent years with his ambitious acts has created tensions with his neighbors rather than trying to develop a 'zero tension' environment, has now selected Iran for his interventionist policies...
"In the last decade, Erdoğan, by interfering in the domestic affairs of the regional countries, wishes to revive the New Ottoman Empire with him as its leader. Meddling in the internal affairs of Syria, Libya, and the oil and gas drilling in the Mediterranean, is part of Erdoğan's project to form his empire in the region. The desire of cessation of the Iranian Azerbaijan expressed by Erdoğan is part of his illusionary empire, even though this part of Azerbaijan was never a colony of the Ottoman Empire and was always at war with the Ottoman government. In the last decade, Erdoğan has shown how well he knows and can use religion and ethnicity in this region to create havoc and division among the countries. Syria stands as a prime example of this policy..."
See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9105, IRGC-Affiliated Javan Daily: Erdoğan 'Is In Pursuit Of Creating His Delusional State,' His 'Imaginary New Ottoman Empire', December 23, 2020.
Iranian Expert Shohreh Poulab: "Erdoğan's Strong Belief In His Expansionist Foreign Policy"
In January 20, 2021 article titled "The 'Red Apple' And The Plan Followed By Turkey; The Eurasian Dream of Erdoğan," in the media outlet Iranian Diplomacy, Iranian expert Shohreh Poulab argued that the concept of Kızıl Elma (Turkish, "Red Apple"), "in Turkish mythology represents the final aim of dominance, is the symbol of the Pan-Turkic movement with its main objective being the unification of all Turkic people to gain world superiority."
Below are excerpts of Poulab's article:
"Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, on August 26, 2020, on the occasion of the anniversary of the victory of the Seljuk dynasty over the army of the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of Manzikert, stated that Turkey 'will get what is rightfully its in the Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Black Sea.' In this speech, Erdoğan, responding to the joint military drill of Greece, France, Italy and Cyprus near the Greek island of Crete in the south of Cyprus, warned that 'we will never make any concessions on what belongs to us... we urge our counterparts to pull themselves together and avoid mistakes that would lead to their devastation.'
"The aggressive speech of Erdoğan at this event, along with the nationalistic enthusiasm resulting from the history of the Ottoman Empire, is further proof of Erdoğan's strong belief in his expansionist foreign policy. At the same time that he was making this war-mongering speech, Erdoğan mentioned the 'Red Apple' in his tweets, which is the symbol of legendary foundation of the Turkish dominance in Central Asia and represents the most important symbol of Turkish nationalism and expansionism.
"The term 'Red Apple' ('Kızıl Elma'), which in Turkish mythology represents the final aim of dominance, is the symbol of the Pan-Turkic movement that aims to unite all the Turks in the four corners of the globe to gain global supremacy. This concept is the core of the expansionist approach of Turkey. As Fahrettin Altun, the Head of Media and Communications in the office of President of Turkey, declared: the 'Red Apple' to us represents a great and powerful Turkey and is the symbol of the sacred progress of our nation in the historic march from [Battle of] Manzikert in 1071 to the 15th of July (the failed coup of 2016). The 'Red Apple' is like a huge tree that provides shade from Gibraltar to Hedjaz and from the Balkans to Asia. The point is that the Seljuqs, who are the predecessors of the Ottomans, in 1071 defeated the predominantly Greek forces of the Byzantine Empire and opened the gates of Anatolia to the Turks. In Turkey, this victory is cited as the onset of the gradual Turkification of Anatolia.
"The geography embodied in the concept of 'Red Apple' refers to a wide area from southern Europe to Central Asia, in which Turkey pursues an active foreign policy under Erdoğan. Turkey seems to have maintained its independent position in the Mediterranean region by engaging directly in the Libyan political process, preserving the sovereignty of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean. By setting a new agenda it manipulates geopolitics in Eurasia to achieve its policies throughout the region – based on the concept of the 'Red Apple,' from Andalusia in southern Spain to Bukhara in Uzbekistan.
"Contemporary foreign policy based on pan-Islamism derived from Islamic identity along with the use of the re-model of civilization left over from the Ottoman Empire as neo-Ottomanism combined with national security doctrines such as 'Blue Homeland' – in Turkish Mavi Vatan – will pave the way for strengthening the foundations of economic, military, and political power to continue Turkey's active role in the wider arena..."
See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9207, Iranian Expert Shohreh Poulab: Erdoğan's 'Red Apple' Project 'Provides A New Version Of Geopolitical Rivalry With China And Russia In Central Asia', March 2, 2021.
