Recent Attempts to Form Strategic Regional Bloc: Syria, Turkey and Iran
By: O. Winter*
Syria/Turkey/Iran |#490 | January 6, 2009
| In August and September 2008, a series of meetings and mutual visits took place among the Syrian, Iranian, and Turkish heads of state. Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad visited Turkey and Iran in the first week of August, and a few days later, on August 14, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan then visited Damascus in early September. Arab Diplomatic Sources: Syria Trying to Form a Trilateral Strategic Bloc in the Middle East The Qatari daily Al-Watan reported, citing Arab diplomatic sources, that Syria hoped to form a trilateral strategic bloc in the Middle East comprising Syria, Iran, and Turkey, and that this had been the object of Assad's August 2008 visit to Teheran and Ankara.(1) According to the sources, Damascus believes that strengthening ties and coordination among these three countries at this time would promote the achievement of equilibrium in the Middle East. The sources denied, however, that the bloc would be a political axis or an alliance, saying that it would only be a coordination and consultation mechanism for addressing various issues on the regional and international agenda. They added that Syria would be holding a trilateral summit in Damascus in order to determine the exact format of this coordination, and to confront the serious dangers and challenges facing the Middle East.(2) Assad: "There Is Real Cooperation Among These Three Countries" In a September 17, 2008 interview on Iranian TV, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad discussed the relations among Syria, Iran and Turkey: "At present, there is real cooperation among these three countries; however, this cooperation must be extended to include other countries as well, especially Iraq, because we are neighbors. The main factor prompting [this cooperation] was the lessons we derived from the past. Furthermore, the mistakes made by the enemies have shown that lack of cooperation works against us. On August 6, 2008, the day after Assad's return from Turkey, his political and media adviser Dr. Buthayna Sha'ban explained that the reciprocal visits were part of consultations on regional issues currently underway among the three countries, mainly on the issues of Iraq, Iran's nuclear dossier, and the situation in Palestine. Sha'ban said that the three countries agreed that Iran had the right to pursue its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, in accordance with international charters. She added that consultation among them had always served the security, peace, and stability of the region and had counteracted war and aggression.(4) She said that the three countries were concerned and apprehensive about the situation in Iraq, and that they saw "Iraq's unity, independence, and sovereignty over its resources and land as [a principle of great] importance."(5) Syrian Government Daily Teshreen : Trilateral Coordination Will Shape the Future of the Region In an editorial in the Syrian government daily Teshreen , editor-in-chief 'Issam Dari wrote that Turkey, Iran, and Syria would determine the future of the Middle East: "As prominent countries, Turkey, Syria and Iran can not only play an influential role in the region, but also shape [its] future in accordance with the will of their own peoples and that of the peoples of the entire region. This, in order to stop the brazen interference by outside [forces] – interference that must be rejected outright as incompatible with the supreme interests of the Arabs and those of their neighbors and friends. Syrian Government Daily Al-Ba'th : The Three Countries' Positions Are Similar, If Not Identical An editorial in the Syrian government daily Al-Ba'th contended that Syria, Iran, and Turkey held similar positions on most regional issues: "Syria, Iran, and Turkey are countries of prominence and presence – politically, economically, and in terms of human [resources] – and they have important converging interests. This means that any crisis afflicting a neighboring country invariably affects them, directly or indirectly, as it affects other countries in the world, albeit to a lesser degree. Syrian Weekly: Turkey Has Realized Where Its Interests Lie An editorial in the Syrian weekly Abyadh Wa-Aswad stated that Turkey had despaired of joining the Western world and had realized that its real interest lay in renewing its contacts with the Middle East countries: "In light of the economic interests and common denominators shared by Syria, Turkey, and Iran – including geographic [proximity] [and similarities in] religion, beliefs and positions – it has become more important than ever to conduct a political process that reflects this reality and protects these interests. [This move] has prepared the ground for redrawing the map of cooperation among [certain] countries in the region, [namely Syria, Turkey, and Iran], especially since their main common denominator is their categorical rejection of all Western dictates, and their rigorous adherence to the national and regional interests of every country… Main Headline of Syrian Weekly: "Syria-Iran-Turkey – A New Map of Regional Cooperation"
Abyadh Wa-Aswad (Syria), August 10, 2008. Iranian Columnist: The Trilateral Front – A Major Regional Force that Will Restrain America's Rampage in the Region Iranian columnist Dr. Mohammad Sadeq Al-Hosseini, who is secretary-general of the Arab-Iranian Dialogue Forum, wrote in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Jarida: "The prevailing view in knowledgeable circles is that a consensus – if not an alliance – is forming among Teheran, Ankara, and Damascus. [This alliance] will transform these three countries into a major regional force that will act to restrain America's rampage in the region. Similar cooperation emerged during the era of the late [Syrian] president Hafez Al-Assad in the wake of the Kurdish rebellion, which spawned dangerous developments that threatened the security of the three countries. [The Kurdish issue] may be an important factor in reviving this trilateral [alliance today]… "The war in the Caucasus, and its ramifications for U.S.-Russia relations, will offer the influential countries of the region a great opportunity to put their own stamp on what Washington envisaged as 'the New Middle East.' This [stamp] will be based on [these countries' own] positions and standards, rather than on those of the U.S., [which] has lost the war in the Caucasus. "Accordingly, it can be said with confidence that a main outcome of this war is [the emergence of] a regional front that is free from U.S. dictates." (10) *O. Winter is a research fellow at MEMRI.
(1) According to the London daily Al-Hayat, Assad was visiting Turkey, which is mediating in the indirect Syria-Israel talks to apprise it of issues that had arisen during his meetings in Iran – namely, of Iran's concerns and apprehensions regarding the Syria-Israel negotiations and its request for detailed information about their progress. Al-Hayat (London), August 10, 2008. |
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