The war between Israel and Hamas is heading into four months and has already caused, among other issues, a rebalancing of alliances and divisions in the Middle East. Iran and Turkey, two regional powers facing several conflicts, seek to leave their differences behind to achieve a joint approach to the war in the Gaza Strip, which leads to neighborhood stability..

Despite having strong commercial ties, mistrust persists between both countries due to the Syrian war – where they supported opposite sides – and their differences in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.. After the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, these differences have taken a backseat, although the official meeting has been delayed two months due to various issues..

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi canceled his visit to Turkey in November due to escalating hostilities between Israel and pro-Iran forces in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.. Raisi had to cancel another visit earlier this month due to the terrorist attack in Iran, claimed by the Islamic State, which left 93 dead..

“We have discussed (with Raisi) the need to end Israel's inhumane attacks on Gaza and take urgent steps towards the establishment of a just and lasting peace,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a press conference. joint with his Iranian counterpart.

“We have agreed to avoid any measure that could threaten the security and stability of our region,” he added, without giving further details of the actions.. Raisi, for his part, focused his intervention on attacking the United States for its support for Israel.. “The actions of the Zionist regime are supported by the Americans and some Western countries. This is the biggest problem, that the United States supports the Zionist regime. In fact, the US is committing this massacre,” Raisi asserted.

“Iran and Turkey have a common position of support for the Palestinian people and the resistance of the oppressed but powerful Palestinian people,” said the Iranian president shortly before the meeting.. In the last week, Iran has exchanged attacks against “terrorist” targets with Pakistan and has bombed Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, the United States has intensified its airstrikes against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis in an attempt to stop their ambushes on Red Sea shipping lanes.. Israel, for its part, has repeatedly attacked figures linked to Tehran in Syria and Iraq.

Turkey is a member of NATO but does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization and has harbored leaders of the organization in the past.. However, since the start of the war, Ankara has adopted a stance as a mediator in the conflict, trying to steer talks towards a ceasefire.

Kurdish guerrilla

During the meeting this Wednesday, both countries also discussed measures to counter the Kurdish guerrilla, the Kurdistan Workers Party, in northern Iraq and its Iranian wing, according to official sources revealed to the Turkish press.. In recent weeks, dozens of Turkish soldiers have been killed in guerrilla attacks in northeastern Iraq, after Ankara decided to expand the deployment of its army in the region.. Tehran bombed the area last week, killing an Iraqi-Kurdish businessman and several of his relatives.

The Iranian attack, which Tehran said targeted Mossad spy bases in Erbil, created a diplomatic conflict with Kurdish authorities.. “Security in Türkiye also means security for Iran. The slightest event in Turkey can affect our country and the region,” Raisi said after reiterating that his government will also work to eliminate “terrorism.”

Raisi and Erdogan also attended a joint meeting with businessmen from both countries, to sign a series of memoranda on infrastructure, security, culture and tourism.. Raisi tries to strengthen alliances with countries in the region “at a higher level” that can help the country overcome the economic sanctions of the United States and other Western countries, imposed as punishment for its alleged attempt to develop nuclear weapons..

Iranian government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi noted this week that Turkey is one of Tehran's five main economic partners, and that trade volume has increased 40% in the last three years.. Raisi, for his part, announced with Erdogan that both countries aspire to reach 30 billion dollars in trade volume.. Ankara was also interested in discussing the renewal of Iran's natural gas export contract, which expires in 2026, officials close to the talks said.. “We want to improve our energy relations. “We are going to take measures to expand (gas) transportation routes between our countries,” Raisi said.