Turkey: US Action Against IRGC Will Cause Instability in the Region

Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey's Foreign Minister, criticized the US government's decision to place the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the list of 'Foreign Terrorist Organizations' on Tuesday, April 9, stating that this action will lead to instability in the region. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced on Monday, April 8, that the entire IRGC would be designated as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organization.' In a press conference in Ankara, Cavusoglu said, 'Such decisions will create instability in our region.' He emphasized that the decision to label the official army of another country as 'terrorist' is 'incomprehensible.' He further criticized US sanctions against Iran. According to Anadolu, Cavusoglu also stated, 'We do not endorse the actions of the IRGC in Syria and are even opposed to these actions, but that does not mean we should label the official military force of a country as a terrorist group.' While Turkey supports opposition groups against Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria, Iran, along with Russia, is one of the main supporters of the Syrian government. France's news agency reported that despite differences between Turkey and Iran in Syria, the two countries are trying to find a middle ground on this issue. Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi reacted to the IRGC's inclusion on the US 'Foreign Terrorist Organizations' list, stating that Baghdad tried to prevent such a decision and warned that it could have a negative impact on Iraq and the region. According to Reuters, Abdul-Mahdi said in his weekly press conference that 'Iraq tried to prevent this decision and contacted all parties, including the Americans and Saudis,' and he will do everything possible to bring calm to the region considering Iraq's good relations with both Iran and the US. The Iraqi Prime Minister emphasized that any escalation of tensions would result in all of us being losers. The US action to place the IRGC on the list of 'Foreign Terrorist Organizations' provoked strong anger among Islamic Republic leaders on Tuesday, and the Iranian parliament stated that it has a two-urgent plan to classify American military forces in West Asia as 'terrorist.' Meanwhile, US officials claim that the IRGC is a source of instability in the region and suppresses dissent within Iran. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also described the new US decision as an important step in combating 'Iran's regime terrorism,' stating, 'The use of terrorism has become the cornerstone of Iran's foreign policy. Placing the IRGC, including the Quds Force, on this list will help deprive the regime of its tools for this destructive policy. Maximum pressure will continue until the Iranian regime abandons its deadly ambitions.'