Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (R) meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran, Iran, on July 19, 2022. (Iranian Presidential Website/Handout via Xinhua)
by Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye and Iran, two regional powers in the Middle East, are trying to put their growing rivalry aside and seek a common ground towards a solution to the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip, experts have said.
Earlier in the day, the Turkish presidency announced that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will not be making a previously announced visit on Tuesday to the Turkish capital Ankara, where Raisi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to focus on seeking a joint response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
No reason has been specified.
Nevertheless, the two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday evening following a phone talk a day earlier between the top diplomats for the two countries.
During the call, Erdogan highlighted the significance of a "unified stance" from the Islamic world, particularly from Türkiye and Iran, against Israeli military operations in Palestinian territories, semi-official Anadolu Agency has reported.
Smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on Oct. 12, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
The pressing Gaza crisis has led to a rapprochement between the two neighbors who have kept good trade relations but are at odds in many areas across the Middle East, analysts said.
"The Gaza crisis has allowed the rising tensions between Türkiye and Iran to appease in the pursuit of a common goal," said Oytun Orhan, coordinator for Levant Studies at Ankara's Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies. "The (Gaza) conflict has opened room for both countries to find common ground."
Orhan's view is echoed by Sabir Askeroglu, an Ankara-based independent foreign policy analyst.
"Iran and Türkiye have common interests on issues related to Palestine. Both countries are uncomfortable with Israel's policies and have expressed their discomfort with the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza," Askeroglu told Xinhua.
Meanwhile, both nations are worried that a stronger U.S. presence in the Middle East is detrimental to their interests in the region, Orhan said.
The conflict in Gaza may help close the gap between Türkiye and Iran, given their shared opposition to a U.S.-led regional and world order, both analysts said.
In Askeroglu's view, Tehran hopes that Türkiye could to come to the fore more when it comes to addressing the Gaza crisis.
"Now, Iran is considering whether it can act jointly with Türkiye, and thinks that if the answer is yes, it can change the balance of power in the region," Askeroglu said.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, Erdogan has taken a firm stance against Israel, describing the country as "a terrorist state." Iran, meanwhile, had voiced unequivocal condemnations towards Israel.
On the other hand, Türkiye, unlike its Western allies, does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization, while Iran is a strong supporter of the group that controls the Gaza Strip.
Overall, Iranians and Turks seem to have converging interests on the Gaza conflict, but there are limitations to this emerging alliance, Orhan said.
"Türkiye is a member of NATO and has close ties with Western nations, while Iran has a long-standing feud with the West. Therefore, they may be getting closer for Gaza, but their positions are different, and their regional competition is likely to continue," he added. ■
