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In the 1980s and 1990s, Iran was both supporting PKK terrorism and trying

to export its theocratic regime to secular-democratic Turey! Thus, Iran

was seen by the Turish security establishment "mainly the military# as

posing a $ital threat to the existence o% the Turish state! The resurgence

o% PKK terrorism in Turey along with the rise o% a Kurdish mo$ement inIran since the &00' Ira(i war, howe$er, seem to ha$e united the two

countries against the commonly percei$ed threat) they ha$e a common

interest in the protection o% Ira(*s territorial integrity!Iran, once supporti$e

o% the PKK, has been %acing security problems in its Kurdish-populated

+orth! Iran*s million population includes nearly million Kurds, many o% 

whom are located in the +ortheast, bordering Ira( and Turey! Pe.a, a

Kurdish rebel group in Iran regarded by Iranian authorities as lined to the

PKK, has been attacing Iranian security %orces) Iran has become

increasingly cooperati$e against the PKK and has been initiating military

operations against the Pe.a! /$er the past years, Turey and Iran ha$e

also impro$ed their economic relations by signing a - year contract %or the

sale o% 10 billion cubic meters o% Iranian natural gas!

In une &00, the 2P go$ernment congratulated the newly elected

conser$ati$e Iranian leader 3ahmud 4hmadine.ad %or his electoral $ictory

o$er the re%ormist President 3ohammad Khatami, and expressed Turey*s

willingness to impro$e bilateral relations with Iran! 5Impro$ing relations

with neighboring countries is a priority %or Turey,6 noted 7oreign 3inister

l! That conser$ati$es ha$e come to power in Iran seems unliely tostrain secular Turey*s relations with Iran at this time, because the

resurgence o% PKK terrorism is seen as a more $isible and more immediate

threat than that posed by Islamic reactionism in Turey! 4 %ormer Turish

diplomat, Ilter Trmen, commented that 5Iranian elections were a

disappointment, gi$en the hopes o% the Iranian society %or re%orm! :ut it is

unliely that Iran will tae up an ad$enturous %oreign policy stance similar

to the policies o% the 1980s!

In 4ugust &00, the Iranian 7oreign 3inistry declared that 5Iran is

cooperating with neighboring Turey against terrorism, and this

cooperation will continue in the %uture!6&9 In 2ecember &00, Iranian

7oreign 3inister 3anouchehr 3ottai $isited Turey seeing to strengthen

bilateral relations)'0 in 7ebruary &00, Turey and Iran entered into acti$e

bilateral cooperation in the ;ght against terrorism and signed a

3emorandum o%

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by declaring, 5I can state that we*re in %ull agreement concerning ha$ing

tight and absolute cooperation against PKK terror and .ointly ;ghting

against any PKK acti$ity in the region!6''

 Turish-Iranian cooperation against the PKK notwithstanding, Iran*s

nuclear program may be a potential source o% tension in Turish-Iranian

relations) the Turish military and the 2P go$ernment do not support

Iran*s nuclear ambitions! 5Turey regards the presence o% nuclear weapons

and their proli%eration as a serious security threat,6 obser$ed Turish

7oreign 3inister l!'? 5Turey supports Iran*s use o% nuclear power %or

peace%ul means,6 l remared! 5>owe$er, the Iranian leadership must

openly show its goodwill and con$ince the international community @that it

is not pursuing a nuclear weapons programA!6 :oth l and Prime 3inisterBrdogan also disappro$ed o% Iranian President 4hmadine.ad*s contro$ersial

remars on Israel, to the eCect that the country should be wiped oC the

map!' In 3arch &00, Turish Dt! en! >ilmi 4in Eorlu, head o% the

eneral =taC Planning and Principles 2epartment, commented that

5Turey does not want any country in its region possessing nuclear

weapons!

Pada 1980-an dan 1990-an , Iran adalah edua menduung terorisme PKK dan

mencoba untu mengespor reFim teoratis untu seuler - demorasi Turi !

2engan demiian , Iran terlihat oleh piha eamanan Turi " terutama militer #sebagai ancaman penting bagi esistensi negara Turi ! Kebangitan PKK 

terorisme di Turi bersama dengan munculnya geraan Kurdi di Iran se.a &00'

perang Ira , bagaimanapun, tampanya telah bersatu edua negara terhadap

ancaman yang umum dirasaan , merea memilii epentingan bersama dalam

perlindungan integritas teritorial Ira ! Iran , setelah menduung PKK , telah

menghadapi masalah eamanan di perusahaan Kurdi

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untu strain hubungan seuler Turi dengan Iran pada saat ini , arena

ebangitan PKK terorisme dipandang sebagai ancaman yang lebih terlihat dan

lebih cepat daripada yang ditimbulan oleh reasionisme Islam di Turi ! =eorang

mantan diplomat Turi , Ilter Turmen , beromentar bahwa G pemilu Iran adalah

eecewaan , mengingat harapan masyaraat Iran untu re%ormasi ! Tapi itu

tida mungin bahwa Iran aan mengambil siap ebi.aan luar negeri petualang

mirip dengan ebi.aan tahun 1980-an !

Pada bulan 4gustus &00 , Kementerian Duar +egeri Iran menyataan bahwa G !

Iran beer.a sama dengan tetangga Turi melawan terorisme , dan er.asama ini

aan terus berlan.ut di masa depan G &9 Pada bulan 2esember &00 , 3enteri

Duar +egeri Iran 3anouchehr 3ottai mengun.ungi Turi berusaha untu

memperuat hubungan bilateral , '0 di 7ebruari &00 , Turi dan Iran

mengadaan er.asama bilateral ati% dalam perang melawan terorisme dan

menandatangani +ota arput meyainan piha berwenang Turi dengan

menyataan , G saya dapat menyataan bahwa ita dalam per.an.ian penuh

tentang memilii er.asama etat dan mutla melawan teror PKK dan bersama-

sama melawan setiap egiatan PKK di wilayah ini ! G ''

Ker.asama Turi- Iran melawan PKK mesipun , program nulir Iran mungin

men.adi sumber potensi etegangan dalam hubungan Turi - Iran , militer Turi

dan pemerintah 2P tida menduung ambisi nulir Iran ! G Turi menganggap

ehadiran sen.ata nulir dan proli%erasi merea sebagai ancaman eamananserius , G ata 3enteri Duar +egeri Turi l!'? G Turi menduung penggunaan

Iran tenaga nulir untu tu.uan damai , G ata ul ! G +amun , epemimpinan Iran

secara terbua harus menun.uan niat bai dan meyainan masyaraat

internasional @ bahwa tida menge.ar program sen.ata nulir A ! G Kedua l dan

Perdana 3enteri Brdogan .uga menyetu.ui pernyataan ontro$ersial Presiden Iran

4hmadine.ad terhadap Israel , yang menyataan bahwa negara harus dihapus

dari map!' tersebut pada bulan 3aret &00 , Turi Det.en >ilmi 4in Eorlu ,

epala 2epartemen