Iran's Counter-Accusations Against Turkey in Response to Erdogan

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry described the recent accusations by the President and Prime Minister of Turkey against the Islamic Republic as 'unacceptable and unjustifiable,' 'baseless and interventionist,' and 'irrelevant and incorrect.' According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Bahram Qasemi on Sunday, April 6, also reacted to the statements made by the Turkish President, accusing officials in that country of 'trying to justify their interventionist and expansionist policies towards their neighbors by blaming others and repeating unfounded claims.' He called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks about Iran 'unacceptable and unjustifiable' and added that 'unfortunately, the baseless, interventionist, and problematic statements of Turkish officials regarding their neighbors continue.' Erdogan accused Iran on Saturday, April 5, of pursuing 'racist' policies in Iraq. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also dismissed the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister's comments about three million migrants residing in Iran moving towards Turkey and then Europe as 'irrelevant and incorrect.' He added, 'Turkey should learn from Iran how to accommodate millions of migrants for over three decades and has never exploited this humanitarian and benevolent issue for specific political purposes against any country.' Qasemi advised Turkish officials to 'not involve humanitarian issues in political conflicts' and urged them to 'respect the sovereignty of neighboring countries and the wishes of the people of Syria and Iraq who have chosen their elected governments.' Iran and Turkey, which apparently enjoy good relations, have repeatedly protested each other's actions in the region in recent months. For instance, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's Foreign Minister, accused Iran of 'sectarianism,' attempting to 'weaken Saudi Arabia and Bahrain,' and 'turning Iraq and Syria into two Shiite countries' at the Munich Security Conference. In response, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated that Turkish officials are 'forgetful' and 'ungrateful,' having forgotten that Tehran's officials 'stayed awake until morning' to support them during the failed coup in July. Zarif also said in an interview with Al-Mayadeen in Esfand that Turkey must prevent the flow of weapons, financial resources, and new forces 'to terrorist organizations' in Syria. Iran is one of the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war, while Turkey is one of Assad's main opponents and supports several of his opposing rebels. The two countries, along with Russia, have been making efforts for months to reach an agreement between the Syrian government and its opponents, including holding several meetings in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. In response to accusations from Bahrain, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday, April 7, also called the claims of Bahraini officials regarding the connection of a 'terrorist' group arrested with Iran 'lies, unfounded, and baseless' and described the government of that country as 'delusional.' Qasemi advised Bahraini officials to 'stop repeating these baseless and unfounded accusations and to manage their internal issues wisely, with more prudence and wisdom.' He added, 'The Bahraini government would be better off focusing its efforts on respecting the rights of Bahraini citizens, ending the repression and detention of scholars, and granting freedom of expression to all segments of Bahraini society.' The Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced that it had 'arrested members of a 'terrorist group' suspected of involvement in 'attacking a police bus' last Esfand. Bahrain claims that members of this group are connected to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to a statement from the Bahraini police, '14 members' of this group have been arrested, and according to the country's Ministry of Interior, 11 of them are suspected of having been trained under the supervision of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the 'Kata'ib Hezbollah' group in Iraq. The Bahraini government had also reported the arrest of 25 individuals on Esfand 15, 1395, who were described as 'members of a terrorist group supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran.' Iranian officials, including the Supreme Leader, have always emphasized that they are not indifferent to events in Bahrain but deny any interference in the internal affairs of that country. Bahrain has suppressed the activities of a major opposition group in that country called 'Al-Wefaq,' accusing them of 'inciting violence and holding illegal protests and sit-ins.' The majority of Bahrain's population is Shia, but the ruling monarchy is held by a Sunni family.