ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a policy discussion in Islamabad said that Turkiye and Iran regional cooperation remains significant for addressing political and security challenges in the Middle East, particularly the evolving situation in Syria.
The discussion was held at the Institute of Regional Studies, where regional experts examined the scope, limits, and strategic nature of cooperation between Ankara and Tehran.
Turkiye and Iran regional cooperation linked to Syria’s stability
Iranian foreign affairs analyst Fatemeh Asadi said that Turkiye and Iran share geographic proximity and overlapping regional interests, making engagement between the two unavoidable. She said the situation in Syria remains volatile and cannot be shaped unilaterally by any single actor.
Ms Asadi argued that regional stakeholders need to identify common ground to prevent further instability. She rejected claims of Iran’s declining influence, stating that Tehran has adjusted its regional priorities and now pursues a more pragmatic approach. She added that Israel’s interest in a divided Syria creates instability, which encourages Turkiye to work with the Islamic nation to preserve Syria’s territorial unity.
Diverging interests limit depth of bilateral partnership
Speaking at the forum, Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that while Turkiye manages its relations with Iran carefully, the partnership has clear limits.
He noted that Turkiye also seeks to maintain relations with the United States, which restricts the scope of cooperation with Tehran. Ambassador Fitton-Brown pointed to increasing regional fragmentation, including the possibility of closer coordination between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which he said could negatively affect Turkiye’s position in Syria.
He added that failure to establish an inclusive government in Syria could revive sectarian tensions and potentially lead to reduced US engagement with Turkiye-backed arrangements in the country.
Analysts describe partnership as tactical, not ideological
Ferahim Eliyev, Research Fellow at the Crescent Research Center, described Turkiye-Iran cooperation as tactical and driven by realpolitik rather than ideology.
He said Turkiye views Israeli actions as destabilising for the region and therefore sees limited cooperation with Iran as necessary to manage the Syrian crisis. Mr Eliyev added that Turkiye aims to position itself as a mediator between Syria’s new administration and Iran, making the partnership situational.
He further noted that Turkiye intends to continue economic engagement with Iran despite international sanctions, which adds strategic importance to coordination between the two countries on Syria-related issues.
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