At least this is the impression one could get from Turkey's attempts to woo Iran despite a frosty relationship between the two, primarily over Syria. And Tehran apparently does not mind.
"It is in this context of multiple failures that we must read Turkey's 'positive' diplomatic overtures to Iran," political analyst Salman Rafi Sheikh wrote for New Eastern Outlook.
In early March, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was on an official visit to Iran. His comments on Syria were apparently meant to mend fences.
Turkey has been a major opponent of President Bashar al-Assad and it has supported terrorist groups, who are trying to overthrow him. Moreover, Ankara was ostensibly planning to send ground forces to northern Syria not so long ago.
Both countries have emphasized that they want to promote cooperation in various areas, including economy, energy and security. Turkey, according to the expert, needs Iran for alternative sources of oil and gas. Ankara also hopes that Iran could help Turkey to resolve the Kurdish issue, since both countries will make every effort to prevent the ethnic group from establishing an independent Kurdistan.
For its part, "Iran is confident that Turkey has lost the war in Syria and a new phase in Ankara's policies is about to begin," Salman Rafi Sheikh explained, adding that both countries want to receive greater access to their markets. "Turkish business elite sees in Iran, just like the European entrepreneurs, a big market to invest in," he added.
The analyst warned that this diplomacy will most likely result in a fragile marriage of convenience that could easily shatter under certain geopolitical developments.
