A friend amidst foes

The adage that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend” was a very simple concept (even if often misplaced) until Turkey put its own twist on that circular old saw.  Nowadays, Ankara has no problem in regarding my friend’s enemy as my friend. Turkey’s economic ties with Iran have strengthened considerably recently while Turkish companies also manage to turn a tidy profit in Kurdish Northern Iraq.  Trade with Iran was worth an estimated $8 billion in 2007, up nearly a fifth on the previous year. In the first month of this year, the rise was even more spectacular. Bilateral trade hit $700 million, an increase of 32.35% on the same month last year. So the visit to Ankara in March of Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Sheikh Attar was a significant step in cementing ties. Turkey’s mildly Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) government certainly looks more favorably towards the Islamic