Roundup: Turkey, Iran ties get complicated over situation in Yemen

Bilateral relations between Turkey and Iran will get increasingly troublesome with sharp differences emerging concerning the situation in Yemen.

Turkey and Iran have already been at odds over Syria and Iraq for some time.

"This may complicate relations between Turkey and Iran," Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, professor of international relations in Gazi University, told Xinhua.

"However, both Ankara and Tehran proved they are capable of managing their bilateral ties through stormy weather despite a wide range of differences," he added.

Turkey's declared support for the Saudi-led airstrikes on Shiite Houthi posts in Yemen displeased Iran, prompting several Iranian officials to call for the cancellation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's upcoming visit to Tehran.

Criticism of Turkey followed Erdogan's public accusation that Iran is "trying to dominate the region," stressing that Iran's actions will not be tolerated.

Urging Iran to withdraw from Yemen, the Turkish president said "Iran has to change its perspective. It has to withdraw its forces in Yemen along with Syria and Iraq, and respect their territorial integrity."

Turkish analysts cautioned that Turkey's open support of the Sunni bloc in Yemen may complicate Turkey's foreign policy.

"Erdogan's words are clearly hostile towards Iran and obviously dangerous," said Ankara-based analyst Serkan Demirtas.

He said the government's position on Yemen displays a clear contradiction in Turkey's regional priorities, and marks a significant deviation from its traditional foreign policy comprised of peaceful solutions to international problems.

"The image that Turkey paints today shows approval of Saudi domain in the Middle East, and clear opposition to Iran," Demirtas noted.

The Turkish president's remarks were also met with strong retaliatory rhetoric by several Iranian leaders.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back at Erdogan Friday accusing him of fomenting strife in the Middle East.

"It would be best if those who committed irreparable damage through strategic mistakes and grandiose politics adopt responsible policies," Zarif remarked.

Mansour Haghighatpour, deputy chair of both the parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy committee stated "Erdogan's anticipated visit to Iran will be useless, so it must be postponed this time around."

Ayatollah Hasan Ameli, a high-ranking religious figure, also urged the government to reconsider Erdogan's visit.

Despite harsh remarks by Iranian officials, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has downplayed the controversy surrounding Erdogan's upcoming visit set for April 7.

"As far as we know, there is no change to Erdogan's visit" Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Kashkavi told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Turkey's Presidential Press Official Haci Unal told Xinhua Sunday that Erdogan's visit to Iran will not be postponed.

Analyst Verda Ozer pointed out a series of contradictions regarding armed intervention into Yemen, lamenting the fact that the regional sectarian war is receiving more attention than the war against Islamic State (IS).

"The rational path for Turkey to follow would be to stay out of this war as much as possible," she suggested. "Otherwise, it could find itself involved in a longterm bloody conflict," Ozer warned.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed in an interview Friday the need for a political solution in Yemen, warning against wider escalation of the conflict.

"Iran and the Arab world need not engage in a showdown," the Turkish foreign minister remarked.

However, he declined to elaborate on logistical support Turkey offered to Sunni Arabs, a position disclosed Thursday by the Turkish president, saying Turkey is considering lending logistical support to the Saudi-led military operation.

Sami Kohen, veteran Turkish foreign policy expert, urged the government to resort to diplomacy in resolving the Yemeni crisis and help settle differences with local solutions generated by Yemenis.

"Otherwise, Yemen will develop into another quagmire similar to Iraq, Syria and Libya, and become a headache for the world for a long time coming," he emphasized. Endit