Iran angered by Turkish Foreign Minister’s criticism of Tehran’s “sectarian policy”


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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.

See Syria Daily, Feb 20: UN Drops “Political Transition”

Turkey’s message at the Munich Security Conference appeared to intersect with that of Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir argued that the Iranians “stepped up the tempo of their mischief” during the negotiations over the July 2015 nuclear deal and have continued to do so:

I believe that Iran knows where the red lines are if the red lines are drawn clearly, and I believe that the world has to make it clear to the
Iranians that there is certain behaviour that will not be tolerated, and that there will be consequences. And those consequences have to be in tune with the financial side.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman insisted that the main challenges facing the region are “Iran, Iran and Iran”. He said the approach to Tehran should be “a combination of economic pressure, very tough policy and of course to impose the resolutions of Security Council, for example [over the testing of] ballistic missiles”.


Zarif to US: “We Don’t Respond Well to Threats”

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has used his address to the Munich Security Conference to send a message to the Trump Administration:

Iran doesn’t respond well to threats. We don’t respond well to coercion. We don’t respond well to sanctions, but we respond very well to mutual respect. We respond very well to arrangements to reach mutually acceptable scenarios.

Iran is unmoved by threats.

The Trump Administration has put out a message that “Iran is officially on notice”, although the bearer, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, soon left office over his phone calls with the Russian Ambassador to the US.

The Administration has not pulled out of the July 2015 nuclear deal with the 5+1 Powers (US, UK, China, Russia, France, and Germany), but the Treasury has imposed sanctions on more Iranian individuals and companies because of links to ballistic missile tests and to the Qods Forces of the Revolutionary Guards. Donald Trump may also not renew the waiver on Congressionally-mandated sanctions, allowing them to take effect and hindering the attempts of European companies to renew business with Tehran.

“Everybody tested us for many years — all threats and coercions were imposed on us,” Zarif said. He mocked “the concept of crippling sanctions,” which he said did not stop Iran acquiring thousands more centrifuges, used for enriching uranium, before talks with the 5+1 Powers.