Islamabad, December 23, 2025 (Khyber Mail) – An Iranian foreign affairs expert has said that Türkiye and Iran are natural regional partners and cannot be excluded from key political and security processes in the Middle East due to their geographical proximity and shared strategic interests.
Ms Fatemeh Asadi, a Tehran-based foreign policy specialist, expressed these views while speaking at an event organized by the Institute of Regional Studies Islamabad on the prospects of Türkiye-Iran collaboration in the Middle East. Addressing a diverse audience, she said the situation in Syria remains volatile and requires collective engagement by regional stakeholders.
Ms Asadi stressed that no single country can exert complete influence over Syria, making regional cooperation essential. Rejecting claims of Iran’s declining influence, she said Tehran’s priorities in the region have evolved toward a more pragmatic approach. She noted that Israel’s interest in dividing Syria could destabilize the wider region, adding that Türkiye sees Iran as a viable partner in preserving Syria’s unity.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in the United States, said that despite Türkiye having leverage in its relationship with Iran, Ankara prefers to carefully manage bilateral ties. He observed that the Türkiye-Iran partnership remains limited, as Türkiye also seeks to maintain alignment with the United States.
Ambassador Fitton-Brown further pointed to increasing geopolitical fragmentation in the region, including the possible emergence of a Saudi Arabia–UAE alignment that could undermine Türkiye’s interests in Syria. He warned that failure to establish an inclusive government in Syria could reignite sectarian tensions and potentially lead to US disengagement from the Türkiye-backed framework in the country.
Mr Ferahim Eliyev, Research Fellow at the Crescent Research Center in Azerbaijan, described the Türkiye-Iran relationship as tactical and driven by realpolitik rather than ideology. He said Türkiye views Israeli actions as destabilizing and is therefore willing to cooperate with Iran to manage the Syrian crisis.
Mr Eliyev added that Türkiye aims to position itself as a credible mediator between Syria’s new administration and Iran, making the partnership situational in nature. He also noted that Türkiye remains committed to economic cooperation with Iran despite international sanctions, further strengthening the importance of bilateral coordination on Syria.