The Turkey–Russia–Iran Nexus: Eurasian Power Dynamics

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. See George S. Harris, “The Russian Federation and Turkey,” in Alvin Z. Rubenstein and Oles M. Smolansky, eds., Regional Power Rivalries in the New Eurasia: Russia, Turkey, and Iran, (Armonk, New York, and London: M.E. Sharpe, 1995), pp. 3–23. 2. Gokhan Cetinsaya, “Essential Friends and Natural Enemies: The Historic Roots of Turkish-Iranian Relations,” Middle East Review of International Affairs 7, no. 3 (September 2003), http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2003/issue3/jv7n3a8.html. 3. There is very little literature in English on Turkish-Iranian relations. One book that sought to fill that void is by an expert on Kurdish nationalism. Robert Olson, Turkey-Iran Relations, 1979–2004: Revolution, Ideology, War, Coups and Geopolitics, (Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 2004). 4. Brenda Shaffer, Partners in Need: The Strategic Relationship of Russia and Iran, (Washington, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 2001). 5. Ali A. Jalali, “The Strategic Partnership of Russia and Iran,” Parameters, Winter 2001–02, pp. 98–111, http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/Articles/01winter/jalali.htm. 6. See “Conclusion,” in Rubenstein and Smolansky, pp. 271–77. 7. Hasan Kanbolat, “Davutoğlu in Moscow: new era in Turkish-Russian relations,” Today's Zaman, January 23, 2012, http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-269380-davutoglu-in-moscow-new-era-in-turkish-russian-relations.html. 8. See Turkish Statistical Institute, “Exports by countries,” http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreIstatistikTablo.do?istab_id=624 and “Imports by countries,” http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreIstatistikTablo.do?istab_id=625. 9. See “The Turkey, Russia, Iran Nexus: Economic and Energy Dimensions,” Proceedings of an International Workshop, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, and The Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Ankara, March 29, 2012, http://csis.org/files/attachments/120529_Turkey_Russia_Iran_Nexus_Ankara_Workshop_Proceedings.pdf. 10. Tuncay Babali, “The Role of Energy in Turkey's Relations with Russia and Iran,” The Center for Strategic and International Studies, discussion paper at the workshop on The Turkey, Russia, Iran Nexus: Economic and Energy Dimensions, Hosted by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey, March 29, 2012, p. 2 http://csis.org/files/attachments/120529_Babali_Turkey_Energy.pdf. 11. Interviews by the author in Moscow, December 2011. See also “The Turkey, Russia, Iran Nexus: Economic and Energy Dimensions,” Workshop Proceedings, op. cit. p. 4. 12. “Turkey and Russia commit to deep strategic ties despite Syria tensions,” Today's Zaman, July 18, 2012, http://www.todayszaman.com/news-286937-turkey-and-russia-commit-to-deep-strategic-ties-despite-syria-tensions.html. 13. “Turkey had right to force Syrian plane to land, Russian FM Lavrov says,” Today's Zaman, October 15, 2012, http://www.todayszaman.com/news-295455-turkey-had-right-to-force-syrian-plane-to-land-russian-fm-lavrov-says.html. 14. Turkish Statistical Institute, “Data: Statistical Tables: Foreign Trade by Countries,” http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/VeriBilgi.do?alt_id=12, Exports by Countries, http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreIstatistikTablo.do?istab_id=624, and Imports by countries, http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreIstatistikTablo.do?istab_id=625. 15. “Turkey, Iran open third border crossing in regional cooperation effort,” Hurriyet Daily News, April 17, 2011, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=turkey-iran-azerbaijan-move-to-deepen-regional-cooperation-2011-04-17. 16. Interviews by the author in Ankara, May and November 2011; “The Turkey, Russia, Iran Nexus: Economic and Energy Dimensions,” Ankara Workshop Report, Center for Strategic and International Studies, op. cit. pp. 5–6, http://csis.org/publication/turkey-russia-iran-nexus-economic-energy-dimensions. 17. Interviews by the author in Ankara, May and November 2011; “The Turkey, Russia, Iran Nexus: Economic and Energy Dimensions,” Ankara Workshop Report, Center for Strategic and International Studies, op. cit. pp. 5–6, http://csis.org/publication/turkey-russia-iran-nexus-economic-energy-dimensions., p. 5; Aydin Albayrak, “Number of tourists from Iran visiting Turkey drop by 41 percent,” Today's Zaman, July 10, 2012, http://www.todayszaman.com/news-286112-number-of-tourists-from-iran--visiting-turkey-drop-by-41-percent.html. 18. These are official figures from the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB). See Abdullah Bozkurt, “Turkey uneasy with mushrooming Iranian firms, fears clash with allies,” Today's Zaman, March 4, 2012, http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=273196. 19. Gökhan Kurtaran, “Iranian firms break into world markets via Turkey,” Hürriyet, Daily News, April 18, 2011, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=iranian-firms-break-into-world-markets-via-turkey-2011-04-18. 20. Interviews by the author in Ankara, November 2011; Babali, “The Role of Energy,” pp. 6–7. 21. For a discussion of Turkey's efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis see Aylin Gürzel, “Turkey's Role in Defusing the Iranian Nuclear Issue,” The Washington Quarterly 35, no. 3 (Summer 2012): pp. 141–152, https://csis.org/files/publication/twq12SummerGurzel.pdf. 22. Bijan Khajehpour, “The Role of Economic & Energy Relations with Turkey and Russia in Iran's National Strategy,” The Center for Strategic and International Studies, discussion paper at the workshop on The Turkey, Russia, Iran Nexus: Economic and Energy Dimensions, Hosted by the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey, March 29, 2012, pp. 6 and 15, http://csis.org/files/attachments/120529_Khajephour_Russia_Turkey_in_Iran_National_Strategy.pdf. 23. “Iranian Spy Scandal Sparks Outrage in Turkey,” The Journal of Turkish Weekly, September 12, 2012, http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/141727/iranian-spy-scandal-sparks-outrage-in-turkey.html. 24. “Turkey Stops Suspected Iranian Arms Shipment to Syria,” Voice of America, August 5, 2011, http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/08/05/turkey-stops-suspected-iranian-arms-shipment-to-syria/. 25. European Union, DG Trade, “Russia: Main Economic Indicators,” March 21, 2012, http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113440.pdf, and “Iran: Main Economic Indicators,” http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113392.pdf, March 21, 2012. 26. See Jeffrey Mankoff and Andrew Kuchins, The Big Caucasus: Between Fragmentation and Integration, (Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, March 2012), pp 13–14, http://csis.org/files/publication/120326_Mankoff_BigCaucasus_Web.pdf. 27. Whitney Eulich, “Iran convenes conference on Syria, vowing to preserve the axis of resistance,” Christian Science Monitor, August 9, 2012, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2012/0809/Iran-convenes-conference-on-Syria-vowing-to-preserve-the-axis-of-resistance. 28. Con Coughlin, Iran's supreme leader orders fresh terror attacks on West,” The Daily Telegraph, 22 August, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9490878/Irans-supreme-leader-orders-fresh-terror-attacks-on-West.html. Additional informationNotes on contributorsStephen J. FlanaganStephen J. Flanagan is Henry A. Kissinger Chair in Diplomacy and National Security at CSIS. This article reflects the initial findings of a collaborative CSIS research project