Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
US authorities have designated a Turkish investment bank and three Istanbul-based logistics companies under targeted sanctions for allegedly facilitating illicit Iranian financial transfers and supporting Tehran's aviation network.
Turkey has reintroduced the “sliding scale mechanism” to prevent dramatic pump hikes from feeding inflation after the Iranian War pushed global oil prices higher.
The U.S. and Israel have started a war against Iran, although Trump does not want to call it as such. I saw no way out of the impasse between the two parties, although the Iranian side was optimistic after the third round of nuclear talks.
Turkey is seeking to position itself as a mediator between the United States and Iran as threats of attacks rise and diplomatic engagement intensifies, with the Turkish foreign minister set to host his Iranian counterpart in Istanbul on Jan. 30.
In their first call since unrest spread across Iran, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, that Turkey does not support any scenario involving external intervention in Iran, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency on Jan. 22.
Turkey froze the assets of 18 institutions and 20 individuals linked to Iran, including the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, a day before hosting Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzade in Ankara.
The United States has imposed sanctions on 22 entities linked to a shadow banking network accused of facilitating illicit oil trade on behalf of the Iranian regime. The network operates through front companies based in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong, funneling revenue to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the U.S. State Department announced on July 9.
The United States has imposed sanctions on 22 entities linked to a shadow banking network accused of facilitating illicit oil trade on behalf of the Iranian regime. The network operates through front companies based in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong, funneling revenue to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the U.S. State Department announced on July 9.
The unintended consequence of U.S. interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan has been the assertion of Iranian power. “We are in power in four capitals,” Iranians used to brag of their presence and clout in Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus and Yemen.
Despite jubilatory rhetoric from governmental circles, Turkey was caught unprepared for the rapid fall of the Assad regime in Syria. The best scenario was to sit down with a weakened Bashar al-Assad, which explains why Turkey was still desperately expecting to receive a reconciliatory message from him when the Iranian foreign minister came to Ankara on Dec. 2 from Damascus. No doubt, Turkey will enjoy certain advantages in terms of playing a role in designing a “new Syria.” And certainly, in contrast to Iran and Russia, which appear to be the losers from the regime's fall, Turkey makes it to the list of “winners,” while Israel tops it as the “biggest winner.”