EU - https://iransview.com Iran's View Fri, 27 Nov 2015 19:47:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/iransview.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-cropped-logo.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 EU - https://iransview.com 32 32 50113794 Who in Turkery Shot the Russian Jet Down? https://iransview.com/who-in-turkery-shot-the-russian-jet-down/1602/ https://iransview.com/who-in-turkery-shot-the-russian-jet-down/1602/#respond Fri, 27 Nov 2015 19:06:44 +0000 http://www.iransview.com/?p=1602 Who in Turkery Shot the Russian Jet Down?

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.(ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO / AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.(ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO / AP)

By: Mahmoud Hedayatpanah*

The Turkish army, considering itself as the only founder of the Republic of Turkey and seeing itself as the guardian of Atatürk’s legacy, has always been trying to exert undue influence over and interfere in the politics of modern Turkey in order for them to be on right track for maintaining secularism.With the AKP (Justice and Development Party) rising to power and a process having kicked off in the 1980s, however, the influence lessened over time. The army leaders in Turkey are not that much pleased with it though. The fact that the army does not really have a great deal of room for maneuver in the political affairs originates from the growing political support for the parties.

Another reason given for the army’s reduction in power is the attempt made by Turkey so as to join the EU; as one of the key criteria for gaining admission to the EU is acceding to the parameters of Western liberal democracy, one of which is keeping the army under control by civil and political institutions, that’s to say only the political institutions have the authority, a situation which Turkey has stricken out;  Chief of the General Staff of Turkey, Doğan Güreş, had also claimed in 1992 that Turkey is a military state.

Such processes and the constitution change caused a reduction in power of the military interfering in the political affairs, but its natures did not change whatever. There is evidence showing that the government had nothing to do with the recent incident or at least did not, at all, intended to act as such, but in actual fact it was an attempt by the army to discredit the ruling Justice and Development government. Firstly, Turkey is a member of NATO, so it participates in the military exercises of NATO; it is common, however, for the Russians and NATO members, to intercept planes by jet fighters especially in the Baltic Sea, a trend having been continuing ever since the Cold War. Both the Russian and NATO aircraft have repeatedly approached and even violated one another’s airspace, but they had never clashed; that’s why NATO will not support Turkey regarding this incident as a probable reaction is expected to be done against NATO in the Baltic Sea by the Russians; Barack Obama, as well, in a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested that they should think out well in order for similar incidents to be averted.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, chaired the Supreme Military Council which made the appointments [Reuters]
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, chaired the Supreme Military Council which made the appointments [Reuters]

Secondly, a marked increase in trade between Turkey and Russia in 2014, which was $33 billion, was going to reach $100 billion up to 2010. So it is obvious that Russia is considered one of the most principal trading partners of Turkey, at the same time heavily dependent upon the Russian gas resources. Unprecedented, hostile act by the Turkish side may cause a breach between the two countries, and it seems very unlikely that Turkey would act with the aim of getting an important message across to Russia while Erdoğan was able to successfully tackle the economic problems and bring about a slight economic stability. That’s why he would not have intended anymore to get back to the past fragile economy.

A third point holding the attention is the Turkish statesmen backing down, such as Ahmet Davutoğlu stating that Russia is their friend and partner and they tend to keep the channels of communications open with Russia, or both Erdoğan and Davutoğlu pointing out that if they had been informed of the fact that the fighter belonged to Russian, they would not have acted as such, or the failed attempt Çavuşoğlu made in order for him to make contact with Russian Foreign Minister Segey Lavrov. If Turkey tried to get a message across to Russia, they would persist in the fact that the Russian fighter violated Turkish airspace and would be in a strong position against the Russians; but, they showed no insistence on their act in the aftermath of the incident, erroneously, for the sake of maintaining a good relationship between the two countries on Turkey’s part.

At last, it can be stated that with regards to a reduction in power of the army in having influence over internal affairs, the army tends to rely on the international scene so as to discredit the government, thereby reducing his power in Turkey and also causing the Justice and Development Party face domestic crises in order to ruin their reputation and efficiency; an opportunity of which the Turkish generals have taken definite advantage.

* Mahmoud Hedayatpanah, MA in Persian Gulf studies, is a military expert. His studies concentrate on Russian and American  military capabilities. He is fluent in English, Russian and Farsi.

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US Ups The Ante In Iran Sanctions https://iransview.com/us-ups-the-ante-in-iran-sanctions/1253/ https://iransview.com/us-ups-the-ante-in-iran-sanctions/1253/#respond Mon, 01 Jul 2013 20:06:32 +0000 http://www.iransview.com/?p=1253 Since the US and EU imposed banking sanctions against Iran and barred its financial institutions and individuals from accessing the US financial system, the country tried to use alternative currencies or gold to continue their international trades.

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Since the US and EU imposed banking sanctions against Iran and barred its financial institutions and individuals from accessing the US financial system, the country tried to use alternative currencies or gold to continue their international trades.
  
New sanctions are coming into effect on Monday July 1st as the US tries to block all the alternative ways Iran is using to sell its product and import its needs.
 
This new law signed in January goes further than just targeting Iran’s energy, shipping and shipbuilding sectors, it is also restricting trade with Iran in precious metals, graphite, aluminum and steel, metallurgy and  coal and software for integrating industrial processes.
 
Although US officials have said repeatedly during the last decade that anti-Iran sanctions are targeting the country’s nuclear program, it has  failed to change the course of Iran’s nuclear program and instead hardened the life for normal working Iranian citizens.
The sea port of Shahid Rajaei in southern Iranian city of Bandar E Abbas. This port is most important port of Iran's exports/imports. (Photo Credit: President.ir)
The sea port of Shahid Rajaei in southern Iranian city of Bandar E Abbas. This port is most important port of Iran’s exports/imports. (Photo Credit: President.ir)
 
The implementation of new sanctions which are aimed at blocking the vital ways of Iran’s economy comes at a time when  international observers expected the US to show its goodwill in dealing with the Iranian newly elected moderate president.
 
“If the US wanted to interact with Iran, at least they could postpone the implementation of new sanctions because it is not a good signal for Iran’s new government and it is a contradiction between US official’s words and actions,” said Foad Izadi a professor of political communications at Tehran University in an interview with Iran’s View.
 
The recent sanctions are designed in a way to destroy the basic ways of international trade that supply Iranians with essential goods. While the oil section of the country is already sanctioned, Iran cannot pay for its needed essential goods nor can it export its products to gain the money needed for buying those goods.
 
“85% of Iran’s exports are via shipping and since about one month ago most of the shipping companies stopped docking in Shahid Rajaei port the biggest and most important commercial port of Iran,” said Moslem Sarvandi an expert in the Iranian economy in an interview with Iran’s View.
 
Iranian officials condemned the US sanctions on the vital economic branches of the country as leverage to increase pressures on the Iranian people.
 
“The enemy tried to make the people leave the [political] arena by imposing sanctions and exerting different kinds of economic pressures. They say that they are not the enemies of the people. They lie easily and shamelessly,” said Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with Iranian laborers and producers on Aptil 4, 2013.
 
“Most pressures are exerted to make the people unhappy, make them experience hardships and put them under pressure. They are doing this so that they may pit the people against the Islamic Republic. The goal is to exert pressure on the people,” he said.
 
“US sanctions are said to stop Iran’s nuclear program but the types of recent sanctions have nothing to do with the nuclear program. These sanctions are to constrain the living of Iranian people. These sanctions even target the Automobile industry whose products are used by the people,” said Izadi who received his doctoral degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication at the Louisiana University of the US.
 
“US officials say they are with the Iranian people and yet they are seeking to provoke them against the Islamic Republic but in these actions more Iranians see the US as their real enemy,” he said.
 
Hassan Rowhani the Iran’s new moderate President elect said in his election campaign and also in his first TV speech after being elected as the President that he will pursue moderation in every aspect of the country including foreign policy.
 
“We have to cooperate with other countries according to our mutual interests. We have to take confidence building steps,” Rowhani said in his first TV speech on June 29, 2013.
 
The moderate stances of Iran’s new president led many observers to urge the US to try a friendly interaction with Rowhani before piling on new sanctions.
 
“Recent developments are promoting the stance of those Iranian political players who believe that any moderate approach in dealing with the US is fruitless,” said Hamid Saba an Iranian political expert. “Those elements insist that given past experiences the US will not change its anti-Iranian course even if we meet anything they want, so the only way out is to keep going regardless of American threats,” he said.
 
On the other hand, elements in the US and Israel believe that Rowhani’s election proves sanctions work and now it is time to toughen the pressures against Iran.
 
This is a wrong interpretation which is a result of inaccurate analysis from Iran’s politics can close a new window which opened in the dark relations between Iran and the United States.
 
Iran’s supreme leader has made the president elect ready to stand against new sanctions as he believes in the strategy of resistance. He blames the US for putting pressure on the Iranian people and by referring to the past experiences (continuation of pressuring Iran after the reformist government suspended the nuclear program and the US continued sanctions even before Iran restarted its nuclear program) of the country, he reasons that resistance is the only way of progress.
 
“On many occasions, the nuclear issue came close to being resolved, but the Americans created new pretexts,” Ayatollah Khamenei said during a meeting with Judiciary officials on June 26, 2013.
 
“The goal of the enemies is to keep up the pressure and make the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic tired. For this reason, they prevent the issue from being resolved,” he said.
Iran’s economy is one of very few in the world that is completely separated from the US market and economic system. Iran’s leader believes if his country resists and continues on its independent way, it will be an example to the world and people may rise and ask their rulers to stop depending on the US (AIPAC) and instead be like Iran.
 
In about one month the new Iranian government will come into power and it has to deal with the new obstacles on its way to solve the country’s economic problems. The Iranian people also are waiting for Rowhani to boost the economic situation as he promised in his election campaigns while Rowhani may have to blame US, as the supreme leader does for hardening the living situation of Iranian nation.
 
Of course Iranians are skilled on bypassing their problems especially the sanctions which they are used to for the last three decades.
 
“There are still alternative and methods to bypass the new sanctions like transferring goods to a non-Iranian port and exporting through a third company and country though they are more expensive and harder,” said Sarvandi.
 
“But Iran can continue resisting for a long time,” he said.

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