"In Iran and Iraq, Turkey faces its own duality
By Murat Somer
Commentary by
Monday, August 22, 2005
In determining its position regarding Iran-Iraq rapprochement and Iran's increasing influence over Iraq, Turkey has to assess and balance two partially competing interests. The first is its security interest in Iraq's unity and stability. The second is Turkey's normative interest in the prevalence of secular democracy (however defined) in the region. In the short term, these interests appear to be clear-cut and the security interest is likely to prevail over the normative. Accordingly, Turkey approves of Iranian-Iraqi rapprochement insofar as it strengthens Iraq's territorial unity.
Turkey's long-term interests are more complex. They are contingent upon a variety of internal and external factors."
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