Iran’s Chief of General Staff Mohammad Bagheri wound up a three-day visit to Turkey today, a trip that showcased how the regional rivals can swiftly smooth their differences in the face of common threats.
Bagheri, whose visit was a first since Iran’s 1979 Revolution, was given the full red carpet treatment, including face time with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Bagheri and nine top-ranking Iranian generals also held talks with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli and Turkey’s national spy chief, Hakan Fidan. The sides agreed to boost military cooperation. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ebrahim Rahimpour announced earlier this week that Erdogan had “plans to visit Iran soon.”
Fidan, one of the most enigmatic figures in Erdogan’s inner circle, had been labeled pro-Iran until Turkey began sponsoring Sunni Arab rebels seeking to overthrow Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, who was backed by Iran and Russia. Bowing to Russian pressure, Turkey has since reversed course, turning a blind eye to the fall of rebel-held eastern Aleppo late last year.
Turkey’s biggest concern now is to check the rising influence of the US-backed Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Ankara is looking to leverage Iran’s influence over Assad to help it do so. In turn, Iran is counting on Turkey to dissuade its Iraqi Kurdish allies from holding a planned referendum on Kurdish independence next month. In an interview with Iran’s Mehr news agency, Turkish academic Bilgehan Alagoz said, “It is certain that there is no life to an independent Kurdish state in our geography if Turkey and Iran remain resistant.” Turkey and Iran are vocally opposed to the plebiscite, though Turkey's admonishments thus far sound more like rhetoric to appease Erdogan's nationalist base.
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