Iran and Turkey: not quite enemies but less than friends

The rise and subsequent erosion of friendly relations between Iran and
Turkey was a result of their regional ambitions. While Turkey had long
seen its secular system as presenting an alternative to Iran’s Islamic
ideology, the alignment of their regional interests facilitated a rapport
between the two states in the first decade of the twenty-first century.
However, the Arab Spring proved divisive for this relationship as
each state sought to advocate its model of government and secure a
leadership role in the Arab world. The war in Syria widened the divide,
as Iran’s long-standing support for the Bashar al-Assad regime could
not be reconciled with Turkey’s desire to see President Assad out
of office. Using a close reading of Persian and Turkish sources, the
authors will analyse the Iran–Turkey divide, focusing specifically on
how the Iranians have portrayed it as a clash of civilisations, citing
Turkey’s so-called ‘neo-Ottoman’ ambitions as the primary cause.