Iran and Middle East Studies / İran ve Orta Doğu Çalışmaları

Iran's Reaction to the 'Kurdistan Independence Referendum' The announcement of Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRG) on June 7 that a referendum for independence of the Kurdistan regionwould be held on September 25 sparked harsh reactions from almost all parts of the Iranian administration. Iranian officials have arguedon all occasions that the decision for independence referendum is a one-sided decision that threatens sovereignty and territorial integrity of Irak, and urged the Iraqi Kurdish leaders to give up on this decision. Through mutual visits subsequent to the announcement of referendum, Iranian officials tried to persuade the KRG to shelve itsdecision. In response to invitation of Iran, a delegation of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) including Jalal Talabani, Mullah Bahtiyar, Kosrat Rasul Ali went to Tehran in the middle of July, and met Iranian officials. Secretary General of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (...

İran Genelkurmay Başkanı Bagheri’nin Türkiye Ziyareti İran Genelkurmay Başkanı Tümgeneral Muhammed Hüseyin Bagheri, Türk mevkidaşı Org. Hulusi Akar’ın daveti üzerine 15-17 Ağustos tarihlerinde Ankara’ya bir ziyaret gerçekleştirdi. Bagheri’ye İslam Devrimi Muhafızları Ordusu’nun Kara Kuvvetleri Komutanı Muhammed Pakpur dahil çok sayıda üst düzey askeri yetkiliden oluşan bir heyet eşlik etti. Bagheri,ziyaret sırasında Genelkurmay Başkanı Hulusi Akar, MİT Müsteşarı Hakan Fidan, Savunma Bakanı Nurettin Canikli ve Cumhurbaşkanı Recep T. Erdoğan ile görüştü. Bagheri, Ankara’ya vardıktan sonra İran televizyonuna yaptığı açıklamada Türkiye’yi  bölgede ve İslam dünyasında önemli bir yeri olan mühim komşularından birisi diye nitelendirdi. Bölgesel gelişmeler ile güvenlik meselelerine işaret eden Bagheri, bu çerçevede böyle bir ziyaretin gerekli olduğunu belirtti. Nitekim, Bagheri’nin Ankara temaslarında üç husus öne çıktı; ikili güvenlik ilişkileri, sınır güvenliği ve terörizme ka...

Iranian Military Chief Bagheri's Visit to Turkey  Major General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri,Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of Iran paid a  three-day visit to Ankara on August 15, in response to invitation of his Turkish counterpart,  General Hulusi Akar. Bagheri was accompanied by a crowded delegation of high-level military officials  including Mohammad Pakpur, Commander of the IRGC Ground Forces. In addition to his counterpart  Akar, Bagheri held meetings with Chief of MIT (National Intelligence Agency) Hakan Fidan,  Defense   Minister Nurettin Canikli and President Recep T. Erdogan. At his arrival to Ankara, Bagheri spoke to Iranian state television and described Turkey as an  important neighbor with a vital position in the region and the Islamic world. He underlined thatthis visit to Turkey was necessary due to regional developments and security issues.  Indeed, bilateral security relations, border secu...

Iran-Pakistan Relations within the Framework of Regional Competition The inauguration of the Trump administration in January 2017 has begun to affect geopolitics of Middle East.   Unlike his predecessor, Obama, who advised the regional countries to reconcile with Iran, President Trump believes that Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism, have hands in every problem in the region. In order to contain Iranian threat in Trump administration has tended to improve partnership with conventional American allies in the region. These developments have energized the Saudi Arabian campaign against Iran. Recently, Prince Mohammed B. Salman, then Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister stated in a TV interview on May 2: "We are a primary target for the Iranian regime. We won’t wait for the battle to be in Saudi Arabia. Instead, we’ll work so that the battle is for them in Iran.” He argued that there is no room for dialogue with the Iranian regime. Iran heavily reacted to the st...