Good post. The Iran foreign policy is no longer being determined in dark corners of Medressah in Qum by bunch of
fuzzy Akhunds, and Mullas! The days of hoping to "Put the West Ablaze" are gone. The leadership in Tehran is more pragmatic than in the past. First, they will not interfere with Turkey's internal affairs, they never did in the past, with one exception. Shah Ismail, the Young Safavid ruler and his 12,000 Gizelbashs murids tried to make trouble on the Eastern border of Ottoman Empire, Tupal Osman Pasha at the head of an Army of 200,000 man occupied Tabriz! Iranians still remember that nearly 500 years later. The Iranian Azerbaijan with nearly 20 million Azeri Turks, though Shiites, gives Tehran great worry. Linguistically these Azari's are Turks and would like to unite with Azeri's in ex-Soviet Azerbaijan or eventually unite with Turkey! Iran knows that Turks could make plenty trouble for them if they want, so they will not offend Turks!
In the South of Iranina Azerbaijan there is the Iranian Kurdistan with 7 million ethnic Kurds with capital in Sanandej. This province borders Iraq and has been a supply station for Iraqi Kurds fighting against Sadam. Plus there several factions of Massud Talebani and Barazani bands who are aiming at uniting all the Kurds in Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq!
Iran works hand in glove with Turks to keep the Kurds under control. Iranians arm them and send them back to Iraq if they are willing to keep Sadam off balance. This is a reprisal against Sadam arming the leftist Mujahedin-e-Khalq
and sending them to Iran to attack Iranians.
Iran, however refuses to supply Kurds that are making trouble for Turkey! Rather comples matter. ggg |
