Iran Summons Turkish Ambassador in Protest Against Remarks by Officials of Turkey

One day after Iran's Foreign Ministry reacted strongly to statements made by the Turkish Foreign Minister at the Munich Security Conference, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador in Tehran to protest these remarks as well as recent comments made by the President of Turkey. According to the state news agency IRNA, Ibrahim Rahimpour, Deputy for Asia and Oceania at Iran's Foreign Ministry, summoned Reza Hakan Tekin, the Turkish ambassador in Tehran, to convey the Islamic Republic's objections to the recent statements of the President and Foreign Minister of Turkey. The news agency described the remarks of Turkish officials as 'counterproductive.' On Sunday evening, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry had accused Turkish officials of causing 'bloodshed and increased tension and instability in the region' by engaging in 'interventionist, illegal, and illegitimate actions and supporting terrorist groups.' Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, accused Iran of 'sectarianism,' attempting to 'weaken Saudi Arabia and Bahrain,' and 'turning Iraq and Syria into two Shiite countries' during his speech at the Munich Security Conference. A week prior to these remarks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had stated that there is 'Persian nationalism' in Iraq, which is associated with separatism. He emphasized that 'we must stop these.' Similar conditions exist in Syria. On Wednesday, February 15, Iran's Foreign Ministry described these remarks as being 'influenced by the atmosphere and possibly under a specific emotional state.' The statements exchanged between Iranian and Turkish officials come at a time when both countries, along with Russia, have been engaged in negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, to establish a ceasefire in Syria and dialogue among Syrian groups. Turkey had previously insisted that resolving the Syrian crisis was impossible without the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power, but recently some officials in Turkey have stated that they no longer insist on Assad's removal. At the Munich Security Conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also criticized Iran's role in the region. In response, Bahram Qasemi, spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, stated on Tuesday that 'there is much evidence indicating coordination between these two regimes on regional issues.' Criticism of Iran's behavior in the region was echoed by other attendees at the Munich Security Conference, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who emphasized that if Iran wishes to be treated differently, it must end such behaviors. Relations between Iran and some regional countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, have soured following conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Tehran is accused of supplying weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia has supported Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the President of Yemen, since 2015 by forming a military coalition against the Houthis. In Syria, Saudi Arabia supports opponents of Bashar al-Assad, and Iranian officials have declared that Assad's remaining in power until the end of his presidential term in 2021 is a 'red line' for the Islamic Republic. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, welcomed efforts to improve relations between Tehran and Gulf Arab countries on February 15, prior to his trip to Oman, stating that Iran seeks good relations with these countries. Additionally, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, on March 1 at the Munich Security Conference, called on Gulf countries to 'overcome the current state of division and tension,' stating that these countries should move towards 'establishing realistic regional coordination.'