While eight months ago, Turkey virulently denounced Persian nationalism, it now has formed closer ties with Iran. This development is due in part to the Saudi-Qatari quarrel and to the plan to create a new state in Iraq.

– On 14 August, General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian army (but not Head of the Guardians of Revolution), went to Ankara.
– On 1 October, his Turkish homologue, General Hulusi Akar, went to Teheran.
– On 4 October, the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, embarked on an official trip to Iran.

The two states would have signed an agreement providing for common patrols for their borders with the Iraqi Kurdistan. A wall will be built along a quarter of the border shared between Turkey and Iran. The costs will be borne by Turkey. The aim of this project is to prevent any contact between the Turkish PKK and the Iranian PJAK.

A second agreement provides for:
– intelligence to be exchanged between the Turkish police and the Guardians of the Iranian Revolution;
– authorization for access to each country’s warships when they are docked in the ports of the other country; and
– exchange programmes to train cadets.

According to our sources, the issue here is not a u-turn in alliances. We have here a partnership exclusively for: military coordination against US-Kurdish ambitions in the Middle East, for anti-Buddhist operations in South East Asia, and nothing with regards to Syria.

Translation
Anoosha Boralessa