Turkey’s Reaction, Iran’s Position

Recent events indicate that Turkey’s reaction towards Iran after the downing of the Russian jetfighter was not in proportion with Iran’s positions and statements. Sometimes unofficial remarks are made by certain people who do not hold any office, but these statements cannot be regarded as an official position or view. These people express their own analyses of events and are not necessarily official positions.

The Turkish President has not made proportionate statements and has acted hastily in this regard. There are different media analyses of the downing of the Russian jetfighter but the priority is the official positions taken by the targeted countries and others. Erdogan has stated that he was shocked by the remarks made in Iran about Ankara’s support of Daesh and its involvement in oil trades with this group. Erdogan should have reacted to the statements made by Iran’s President or Foreign Minister.

After the downing of the Russian jetfighter by Turkey, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that both countries should pursue self-restraint and avoid making any statement which might further complicate the situation in the region. The reason is that all countries should, at the present time, concentrate on the fight against terrorism in the region and the Middle East and avoid taking any actions or making any statements which would complicate matters. Therefore, all regional and extra-regional players must make efforts to find a solution to reduce the existing tensions and problems of the Middle East, particularly Syria. Under such conditions, it is necessary for all countries involved in the Syrian issue to be careful about their statements and actions. It is better for the high officials of these countries to refrain from taking harsh positions.

Usually, when there are critical conditions similar to what exists today, misunderstandings occur, but as the situation gets calm, these misunderstandings are removed. Iran has always attempted to refrain from making statements which would further complicate the conditions, thus, Iran recommended other countries to stop making statements which would make the situation more difficult. On this basis, it is recommended that only the officials make statements about the incident that happened between Turkey and Russia. What is understood from the positions taken by Iran’s high officials is that our country has asked for the halting and non-expansion of conflicts in Syria and the region, hence, this point must be emphasized.