Diplomatic spat between Iraq and Turkey turns focus on Syria, Iran

[DinarCowboy12]

Baghdad: Disagreement on Syria is one underlying cause of the current diplomatic row between Iraq and Turkey, analysts say, but crucial economic ties are likely to prevent a serious escalation.

Despite improving relations and rising trade between their two countries in recent years, the rhetoric between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become heated in recent weeks as Baghdad grappled with a political crisis that has stoked sectarian tensions.

Turkey and Iraq have summoned each other's ambassadors to protest unfair criticism on both sides.

"The war of words between Iraq and Turkey and some kind of escalation are largely related [to] what is going on in Syria," said Paul Salem, the director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre in Beirut.

Before the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East, Turkey's policy was one of ‘zero problem' and ‘good relations with everyone', Salem said.

But Turkey was forced to choose between the regime of Syria's President Bashar Al Assad, which has been trying to crush a popular uprising since March 2011, and the Syrian people.

Spur for row

This has caused "trouble with regime allies and friends, which of course include the Al Maliki government and include Iran, and that is really the reason for the timing of the escalation of words" between Turkey and Iraq, Salem said.

Ankara, which has called for Al Assad to quit, has been at the forefront of global criticism of the Damascus regime's crackdown on protests and has also become a haven for many Syrian opposition activists.

Mahjoob Zweiri, a professor of contemporary history and politics of the Middle East at Qatar University, said there are two reasons for the tension.

"Turkey believes Al Maliki's policies are delaying the stabilisation of Iraq by marginalising a part of the society," Zweiri said, adding that Iraq's support of Al Assad's regime is also at odds with Turkey's position. He added: "I don't think that Iraq and Turkey will go very much further [as] both countries have many interests together."

Trade between the two countries amounted to $12 billion (Dh44.07 billion) last year, and Turkish economy minister Zafer Caglayan has said Ankara wants this to rise to "$20 billion or $30 billion in 2012".

Some blame a tussle between Iran and Turkey for influence in Iraq for the war of words.

Geopolitical struggle

Like Iran, Iraq is ruled by Shiites, while Turkey is largely Sunni. Syria is ruled by minority Alawites, a Shiite offshoot.

The Iraq-Turkey crisis is a "struggle for control of Iraq between Iran and Turkey", said Joseph Bahout, a professor at Sciences Po in Paris and a Middle East specialist.

"The previous Turkish-Iranian-Syrian condominium fell apart because Syria is in the situation that we know and the departure of the Americans [from Iraq] left a void that the two countries [Turkey and Iran] are trying to fill," he said.

"The three countries will become a front line that will see conflict between the two main communal forces in the region, and in this context Turkey is obliged" to hold its ground, he added.

Zweiri said Iran's criticism of Bahrain's crackdown on demonstrations and support for Al Assad and Al Maliki are often perceived as being motivated by sect or religion, but its policies are "in fact motivated by the will to have a real role in the Middle East", he said.

Link - http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/diplomatic-spat-between-iraq-and-turkey-turns-focus-on-syria-iran-1.975234

[zigmeister]

With this tug of war with Iraq and Turkey, I wonder why in the world would Iraq want to follow Turkeys RD program.

Me? I wouldn't.