Turkey and Iran Exchange Diplomatic Blows Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Amid escalating diplomatic tensions, Iran and Turkey’s foreign ministries summoned their respective diplomats after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Tehran of destabilizing actions in the region. In an interview with Al Jazeera’s Qatar channel, Fidan criticized Iran’s reliance on paramilitary groups to maintain influence in Iraq and Syria, arguing that the costs outweigh the gains. He warned that inciting unrest in a third country could prompt retaliation, as other states might support opposition groups domestically. Fidan also stressed that no country—Arab, Turkish, Kurdish, or Iranian—should seek to dominate the region.

Fidan, who led Turkey’s intelligence agency for nearly eight years, claimed he had previously raised these concerns with Qassem Soleimani, the late commander of the Quds Force, warning that Iran’s interference could provoke countermeasures.

In response, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused the U.S. and Israel of covert manipulation in the region. He stated: “It is clear that, as the Turkish Foreign Minister put it, ‘the region must be freed from the culture of one country seeking domination over others; neither Arabs, nor Turks, nor Kurds, nor Iranians—none should seek to dominate, disturb, or threaten the other.’ But what about Israel?” 

Baghaei further argued that after Damascus fell to Turkish-backed forces, Israel launched extensive attacks on Syria’s military, destroying over 90 percent of its facilities, reoccupying the Golan Heights, and seizing more Syrian territory.

Baghaei insisted that Iran has not pursued regional ambitions for the past five decades, but has instead focused on supporting the Palestinian cause. He also pointed to Iran’s role in combating ISIS, opposing the coup in Turkey, and advocating for the disarmament of the PKK as proof of its commitment to regional stability.

Following Fidan’s remarks, Iran summoned the Turkish ambassador on March 3, although the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s statement avoided using the word “summon,” instead referring to it as a “meeting.”

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mahmoud Heydari, the ministry’s director general for the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe region, warned Turkish Ambassador Hicabi Kirlangic that “false statements and unrealistic analyses that could strain bilateral relations should be avoided, given the two nations’ common interests and the sensitive regional situation.”

On March 4, Turkey retaliated by summoning Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Ankara. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli criticized Iranian officials for making increasingly public attacks on Turkey, stating: “Foreign policy should never be used for domestic political purposes. We prefer to deliver critical messages directly, which is what we did today.” Keceli emphasized that despite tensions, Turkey values its relationship with Iran.

These developments come as Turkey has expanded its own regional influence. Turkey’s support was pivotal in Azerbaijan’s victory in the Caucasus and in the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. Despite these frictions, a rare visit by Turkey’s intelligence chief to Tehran last month, along with a recent phone call between Fidan and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, highlights ongoing high-level diplomacy between the two nations.