The article boldly declares that relations with Syria matter more to Iran than relations with Turkey.
The Pasdaran issued a quite harsh warning to Turkey in their weekly magazine, Sobheh Sadeq. The article asserted that Turkish forces were crossing into Syria as part of a Western campaign to destabilize the regime of President Bashar Assad.
The article, written by R. Garumabdri, warned that Syria was a strategic asset of the Islamic Republic.
It charged that Ankara was playing a double game, pretending to support democratic change while working to undermine Syria.
The article claimed that Turkey was trying to exploit the revolt in Syria to press long-held border claims. The author warned that Iran would stand with Syria against Turkish intervention.
“The whole world is aware of Iran’s relationship with Syria. Iran should not keep this hidden,” the article said. “Should Turkish officials insist on their contradictory behavior and if they continue on their current path, serious issues are sure to follow.
“We will be put in the position of having to choose between Turkey and Syria. Syria’s justification in defending herself along with mirroring ideological perceptions would sway Iran toward choosing Syria.”
Iran and Syria have been allies for almost three decades. For about 15 years, the Islamic Republic has put a premium on developing relations with Turkey. Syria is more important politically to Iran while Turkey is more important economically. Neither, however, is on the same ideological wavelength as Iran.
“From Iran’s standpoint, the Syrian leadership is in the midst of resolving its problems, and as soon as foreign meddling stops, the Syrians will be able to revert back to normal,” said the article, which was reported in WorldTribune, a very conservative news website based in Washington, DC.