Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Defense and Security, Ilkay Altindag, stated during a meeting with Iran’s Deputy Head of Intelligence and Security at the Iranian army’s General Staff, Majid Mir Ahmadi, that “the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran is an inseparable part of Turkey’s security.”
Mir Ahmadi, for his part, emphasized that “Turkey’s security and stability are of paramount importance to Iran,” and expressed Iran’s gratitude to Turkey for what he described as Ankara’s “position against the aggression of the Zionist entity.”
Despite this rhetoric, the strategic reality is far more complex. Turkey leads a Sunni-oriented regional approach that does not align with Iran’s Shiite axis. Ankara’s support for Sunni actors in Syria — including figures hostile to Iranian interests and blocking Tehran’s land corridor toward Lebanon — directly contradicts Iran’s long-term regional ambitions.
Faced with this contradiction, Iran is promoting the narrative of “Islamic unity” as a tactical tool. The goal is not genuine alignment, but rather to strengthen Tehran’s regional standing, reduce Sunni resistance to Iranian influence, and build a broader front aimed at challenging Israel. This effort is particularly focused on key Sunni states such as Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
