Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan leveled a diplomatic barb at Tehran, saying that Iran’s heavy involvement in Syria failed to protect the people of Gaza from a devastating Israeli incursion.
The criticism underscores the rift between the two Mideast heavyweights just as Ankara has gained more influence after Syrian rebels it supports ousted Iran's main Arab ally, President Bashar al-Assad.
"With all due respect to our Iranian friends, I mean, we’ve had this discussion maybe 1,000 times with them because their presence in Syria didn’t prevent a big genocide in Gaza," Fidan said in an interview with pan-Arab channel Al Jazeera published on Wednesday, referencing remarks made by Iran's Supreme Leader earlier in the week.
In his speech, Ali Khamenei emphasized that Tehran's armed groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, remain strong despite external challenges. Addressing developments in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, Khamenei accused the United States and Israel of underestimating the strength of the Iran-backed resistance movement.
"They thought resistance was over. They are gravely mistaken. The spirit of Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah is alive; the spirit of Sinwar is alive," Khamenei said, referring to Hezbollah and Hamas leaders killed by Israel.
"Their martyrdom has not removed them from existence. Their path continues."
The plight of Gaza is a key issue animating political opinion in the Islamic world but neither Turkey nor Iran have been able to dent Israel's ongoing assault there.
Syria, under Assad, was a key component of Iran’s so-called 'Axis of Resistance,' serving as a vital land corridor for supplying weapons and materiel to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Over the years, Israel sought to disrupt this supply line through hundreds of airstrikes.
Fidan said Iran and Russia had realized their ally Assad was growing weaker.
“The Russians and Iranians have been in Syria a long time, and they know exactly how the Syrian regime has gone in a negative direction. They are very much familiar with the problem of the old Assad regime."
Fidan did not comment on whether any guarantees had been given to Iran or Russia, saying that it is for Syria’s people and government to decide.
In an interview earlier this week, Fidan said that Iran must better understand its actions following Assad’s downfall.
“I think Iran will also learn lessons in the new period; we need to help Iran in a constructive way,” Fidan said in an interview with Saudi-affiliated Al-Hadath on Sunday. He outlined Turkey’s vision for the Middle East as one based on cooperation and respect for sovereignty, adding, “We don’t want Iranian domination, Turkish domination, or Arab domination. It’s time for us to come together and establish our own interests, our own order in the region, shoulder to shoulder.”