Iran Protests Turkish Foreign Minister's Remarks at Munich Conference

After the Turkish Foreign Minister accused Iran of "sectarianism" and attempting to "weaken Saudi Arabia and Bahrain" during a speech at the Munich Security Conference, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described these remarks as "unconstructive." In statements released from the Turkish Foreign Minister at one of the security meetings in Munich, Mevlut Cavusoglu criticized Iran's "sectarian policies" in the region, which he claimed are aimed at undermining Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. According to a Reuters report, he also emphasized that his country opposes any form of "religious and sectarian division." In response to these remarks, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described Turkey as being "in a naive dream of returning to an empire" and accused its officials of causing "bloodshed and increased tension and instability in the region" through "interventionist, illegal, and illegitimate actions and support for terrorist groups." He added that they cannot evade responsibility for such actions through "projection." The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also stated that "they should know that the instability and insecurity in the region has no culprit other than themselves and some other delusional countries; therefore, they should not and cannot escape their self-made quagmire by accusing others." The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman had previously reacted to the Turkish President's remarks regarding Iran's role in ethnic and religious disputes in the region, describing those remarks as "hasty." The statements from the Turkish Foreign Minister and the Iranian diplomatic response come at a time when both countries, along with Russia, are making efforts to establish a ceasefire in Syria and facilitate dialogue among Syrian groups. These efforts, the latest round of which recently took place in negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, occur while Iran and Russia support the government of Bashar al-Assad, whereas Turkey supports some of the opposition groups against Assad. Until recently, Turkey insisted that resolving the Syrian crisis was impossible without the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power, although some officials from the country have recently stated that they no longer insist on Assad's departure. Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Minister's position regarding Iran aligns with statements made on the same day by the Israeli Defense Minister and the Saudi Foreign Minister. Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli Defense Minister, emphasized in a meeting on the last day of the Munich Security Conference that the real division is not between Jews and Muslims but rather "between moderates and extremists," accusing Iran of having the ultimate goal of weakening Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Foreign Minister also described Iran as a "destabilizing force in the Middle East" that seeks to destroy Saudi Arabia. Adel al-Jubeir added that "as long as Iran does not change its behavior, it will be very difficult to deal with such a country." The emphasis on Iran's destabilizing behavior in the region and the need for change was echoed by other participants at the Munich Security Conference, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who stated that if Iran wishes to be treated differently, it must end such behaviors. In this context, two American senators warned of the possibility of further sanctions against Iran. The Israeli Defense Minister stated that Iran is the most significant challenge facing the Middle East. Saudi Arabia described Iran as the "largest supporter of terrorism." Zarif stated that threats against Iran would not be effective. Pence emphasized the U.S. commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran's reaction to Erdogan's remarks was described as being "under the influence of a specific emotional atmosphere."