The effects of Arab uprisings on the relationship pattern between Iran and Turkey

The Arab uprisings have had considerable effects on the relations between regional powers in a way that a more fluid and complicated pattern of friendship and animosity is seen in the Middle East. As two influential powers in the region, Iran and Turkey both claim to have the leadership role in the Middle East. The relationship between Iran and Turkey after the eruption of Arab uprisings has been a complicated and fluid issue affected by different and various factors in different times. The present paper is to answer the following question: how has the Arab spring affected the relationship pattern between Iran and Turkey? The findings illustrate that Iran- Turkey relations at first diminished due to the regional competition over Syria and the sectarian factors (Shia - Sunni rivalry) which became increasingly dominant in the region. Moreover, Iran and Turkey claimed that the Arab uprisings were inspired by their mode of governance and discourse. However, the influential role of Russia in the Syrian crisis, the cleavage between United States and Turkey over the Syrian regime and Kurds, and finally the common security and economic interests between Iran and Turkey which increasingly became evident led to the revival of the relationship between Iran and Turkey in away that they enhanced their cooperation in regional and mutual issues. The methodology of the research is descriptive analytical approach and the data collection method is library research.