Turkey's Protest Against Statements by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman

Reactions and protests from officials in Ankara and Tehran continue regarding recent statements; the spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry responded on February 21 to comments made by his Iranian counterpart, who stated that 'Iran's patience with Turkey has its limits,' saying that these remarks are 'neither acceptable nor understandable.' According to Turkey's state news agency, Anadolu, Huseyin Muftioglu, the spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, reacted to Bahram Qasemi's remarks that Iran's patience with Turkey 'has its limits.' Mr. Muftioglu stated that these comments are 'neither acceptable nor understandable for a country that does not hesitate to send asylum seekers in search of shelter to the battlefield, while blaming others for the tensions and instabilities in the region.' He added that Iran 'should take constructive steps and instead of blaming its critics, review its regional policies.' Just hours before these comments, Mr. Qasemi criticized Ankara, stating that Turkey should 'act with more wisdom in its discourse and statements regarding Iran.' On Tuesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador in Tehran in protest against remarks made by the Turkish Foreign Minister at the Munich Security Conference. Previously, the Turkish Foreign Minister accused Iran of 'sectarianism' and attempting to 'weaken Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.' These statements had already provoked a response from Tehran, where Bahram Qasemi described Turkey as a country 'dreaming of a return to empire' and engaging in 'interventionist, illegal, and illegitimate actions that support terrorist groups,' which leads to 'bloodshed and increased tensions and instability in the region.' However, it was not only the Turkish Foreign Minister who directed accusations, criticisms, and protests at the policies of the Islamic Republic in the Middle East during Munich; officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel also harshly criticized Iran. The Israeli Defense Minister described Iran as 'the main challenge in the Middle East,' while the Saudi Foreign Minister labeled it 'the biggest supporter of terrorism.' Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated that regional disputes do not have military solutions and that no actor should be ignored in seeking a political resolution. Iran is one of the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, while Turkey and Saudi Arabia are among Assad's main opponents. Saudi Arabia and Iran also support opposing parties in Yemen. Iran does not recognize Israel as a country and its officials have repeatedly targeted its existence with threatening rhetoric. The Israeli government is also a staunch critic of the nuclear agreement and with the coming to power of Donald Trump, the Prime Minister of Israel declared, 'It is time to deal with Iran.' Iran has no diplomatic relations with the United States, and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly attacked Washington. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has also described the Iranian government as 'the number one state sponsor of terrorism.' Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are all U.S. allies in West Asia.