MADRID Less than three months after Mohammad Zahid Sabaji, president of Turkeys State Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), revealed the development of a Persian-language channel, the broadcaster has started its operations from Turkish territory.During the unveiling of the job at an occasion held at Uluda? University, Sabaji made declarations that triggered mixed responses, particularly amongst Iranian media.
In his remarks, he emphasized the significance of the Persian-language channel, asserting, We must unsettle Iran.
This remark has been interpreted as a signal of Ankaras local strategy, fueling dispute over Turkeys intents in its West Asia policies.The channels launch takes place within a complex geopolitical context, where Turkey and Iran maintain a relationship defined by both cooperation and rivalry.
The effort highlights Ankaras dedication to reinforcing its political and media influence beyond its borders, at a time when the balance of power in the region is going through significant shifts.The statements by Mohammad Zahid Sabaji, president of Turkeys State Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), did not go undetected in Iran, drawing sharp criticism both on social media and in main circles.
Persian-speaking users strongly condemned Sabajis remarks, while Ahmad Norouzi, vice president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), responded on social media: While we remain concentrated on reporting the daily suffering in Palestine and Lebanon, we will not be distracted by careless remarks.
We book the right to react properly.
From IRIB, we trust that Turkish authorities will disavow these declarations and clarify the situation.This spoken exchange highlights a significant shift in Turkeys local technique, moving far from the concepts at first championed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) under the management of Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his period as prime minister (20032014).
During that period, the AKP advocated a zero problems with next-door neighbors policy, focused on lessening stress within its local sphere.However, this technique unraveled with the break out of the so-called Arab Spring, a wave of demonstrations that exceptionally reshaped the political landscape throughout parts of Africa and West Asia.
In response, Ankara embraced a more interventionist position, marking a clear departure from its original non-confrontational teaching.
This tactical pivot continues to shape Turkeys relations with its next-door neighbors, including Iran and other key local actors.According to various Iranian analysts, Turkeys shift in regional policy is rooted in its adoption of the pan-Turkism teaching.
This political movement supporters for the marriage of countries with Turkic language, such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, under a shared vision aimed at strengthening Turkeys geopolitical influence in the region.Among the countries most likely to line up with this teaching, Azerbaijan stands apart as Turkeys primary ally.
According to Irans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the increase to power of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey, coupled with what Tehran perceives as an expansionist policy in the South Caucasus, has facilitated the resurgence of pan-Turkism, especially in Ankara-Baku relations.The tactical cooperation in between the two countries, largely driven by Turkey, is seen by Tehran as a crucial factor in the continuous tensions with Azerbaijan.
This partnership underscores the complexities of regional characteristics and highlights the ideological and geopolitical undercurrents influencing Turkeys foreign policy.A turning point in this dynamic can be found in 2020, when Turkey provided substantial military support to Azerbaijan throughout the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
Beyond backing Bakus positions, Ankara played a definitive role in operations that caused the profession of locations in southern Armenia, consisting of the strategic Syunik province.
These actions raised issues in Tehran, which perceives them as an effort by Ankara to cut Irans geopolitical impact along its northwestern and northern borders.The growing cooperation in between Turkey and Azerbaijan, framed within the pan-Turkist ideology, continues to fuel stress in a region where political, economic, and cultural interests remain in consistent contention.The Islamic Republic of Iran is progressively careful of any effort to change the current borders between Armenia, Iran, and Azerbaijan, a scenario it considers as a direct risk to its geopolitical standing in the region.
These concerns are deeply connected to the context of pan-Turkist ideology, whose expediency has acquired traction following Azerbaijans victory in the second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020.
Under the contracts reached after the conflict, Azerbaijan not just secured a military success but likewise acquired commitments connected to the opening of transportation paths through Armenian area.
As part of this method, Baku has actually promoted the building of the so-called Zangezur Corridor, a job that would connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan enclave, which is separated from the remainder of the country by Armenian area, and extend this connection to Turkey.
If recognized, the corridor would obstruct direct access in between Armenia and Iran, something Tehran thinks about extremely detrimental both from a geopolitical and financial standpoint.Iranian media have actually mentioned that the passage job could involve Azerbaijan taking control of the Armenian province of Syunik, additional isolating Armenia, one of Irans crucial local allies.
According to Iranian experts, this isolation would have a negative impact on regional trade and significantly modify the tactical balance in the South Caucasus.Despite its close relationship with Armenia, Iran has tried to preserve a neutral position in the dispute between Baku and Yerevan, advocating for a diplomatic solution.
However, Iranian authorities emphasize that their intervention in the very first Nagorno-Karabakh war was vital in preventing Armenia from dominating all of Azerbaijans area, a point that Iranian media typically highlight to criticize what they view as a absence of memory and thankfulness from Baku.In addition to its growing influence in Azerbaijan, Turkey has strengthened its existence in Syria, where the weakening of Bashar al-Assads government and the increase of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, with ties to Ankara, have redefined the regional balance of power.
For Turkey, the consolidation of HTS has not only offered a security increase along its borders but also used a chance to exceed Saudi Arabia as a local rival and increase pressure on Iran.In this context of competitors for regional impact, the current launch of TRT Persian handles tactical significance.
According to the networks official website, the channel was created with the objective of providing accurate, comprehensive, and impartial material to over 130 million Persian speakers worldwide.
Nevertheless, experts note that this initiative belongs to a wider effort by Ankara to broaden its cultural influence in crucial countries such as Iran, the Persian Gulf states, and the Mediterranean.Turkey has been accused of embracing a double method in its foreign policy: on one hand, military interventions in northern Iraq and Syria that, according to some professionals, have contributed to regional instability; on the other, an implementation of soft power when military tactics have actually not yielded the anticipated outcomes.
This technique consists of efforts such as introducing foreign-language channels, strengthening cultural diplomacy, and promoting financial ties.Under the leadership of the AKP, Turkey has actually used this combination of military force and soft power to consolidate its influence in an area marked by historic competitions and divergent geopolitical aspirations.
In this regard, the launch of TRT Persian shows a calculated method by Ankara to extend its reach in a significantly competitive regional landscape.In the competition for local influence, nations use strategies that integrate elements of hard and soft power.
The latter, in its different kinds, not just facilitates the projection of sovereignty and the achievement of strategic objectives but also strengthens the ideological point of views of those who wield it.
Turkey, in specific, has actually heightened its media existence, with a special emphasis on Iran, as part of its soft power strategy.The recent media growth of the Turkish government, exemplified by the launch of TRT Persian, reacts to a series of multidimensional goals, according to analysts: Regional competitors with Iran: The development of platforms like TRT Persian is part of a technique aimed at positioning itself in geopolitical rivalries with Tehran.
Bring in financial investment: One of the essential objectives of the Persian-language media is to draw in Iranian capital, especially through the promo of sectors such as tourist and foreign direct financial investment.
Strengthening regional impact: Turkey utilizes these media tools to combine its presence in Persian-speaking countries and regions, such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
Domestic media effect in Iran: Through these platforms, Ankara aims to establish tools that will enable it to influence political and media narratives within Iran when deemed necessary.In the specific case of TRT Persian, it appears that Turkey intends to utilize this initiative to expand its influence in areas thought about strategic within its pan-Turkic vision.
The platform not just seeks to form popular opinion in essential locations but also to project an image of Turkey as a main star in regional and global politics.This method shows the combination of soft and tough power that defines Turkish foreign policy under the leadership of the AKP.
As Ankara progresses with military interventions and diplomatic techniques, media growth is consolidating as a complementary tool to reinforce its presence in an increasingly competitive regional environment.