Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Ankara on Wednesday for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Raisi’s visit to Turkey was originally scheduled for November, but was postponed twice, first because of scheduling conflicts and later in the aftermath of a bomb attack in the city of Kerman in Iran’s southeast.
Raisi was ceremonially welcomed by Erdoğan and a Turkish delegation, marking the start of talks that are expected to cover the deepening conflict in Gaza and potential energy cooperation between the two neighbours, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
Turkey, which differs from its Western allies and some Arab states in not designating the Palestinian group Hamas as a terrorist organisation, has strongly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, but its continued trade ties with Israel have drawn criticism from Iran. Analysts predict that Raisi will use the talks to urge Turkey to move beyond rhetoric and reconsider its flourishing trade and energy ties with Israel.
The historic relationship between the two countries has been marked by both economic cooperation and divergent views on regional conflicts.
Turkey’s support for rebel factions during the Syrian civil war, aimed at overthrowing Iranian and Russian-backed President Bashar al-Assad, has created tensions between the neighbours. In addition, Ankara’s support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh has further strained relations, with Iran expressing concern about Azerbaijan’s growing influence in the Caucasus region and the potential effect this could have on Iran’s Azerbaijani minority.
The recent bombings in Kerman, responsibility for which was claimed by ISIS, have added another layer of complexity to the situation. Allegations have emerged suggesting Turkish involvement in the attack. Local sources claim that some of the ISIS fighters responsible for the attack received military training in Turkey and crossed the Turkish border into Iran. It is reported that warnings about the transit of ISIS members have been exchanged between local security forces in both countries.
The timing of this attack, just before Raisi’s scheduled visit to Ankara in early January, caused the visit to be postponed for the second time, leading to the new date of the current meeting.
