Turkey has tried its best to stay out of the Iran war, studiously maintaining its neutrality. In this effort, it can point to precedent from its own history. Generations of Turkish policymakers cite the high-stakes balancing act Ankara performed during World War II as one of the golden chapters of Turkish diplomacy. At the time, Turkey’s leaders were acutely aware of the young republic’s geopoliti...
The article presents Turkey’s neutrality in the Iran war as a pragmatic but precarious strategy, rooted in historical precedent and geopolitical constraints. The strongest version of this narrative acknowledges Turkey’s limited military and economic leverage, its dependence on NATO for defense, and its complex relationship with Iran—where stability, even under an antagonistic regime, is preferred over collapse. The analysis highlights Turkey’s efforts to avoid entanglement while navigating risks...