Iran and Turkey: Frenemies for Ever?

Abstract

Iran and Turkey, heirs to the two ancient empires, the Persian and the Ottoman, had a history of complicated but non-violent relations. Commentators often noted that they were “bitter friends, bosom rivals.” International Relations (IR) theory described this relation as “frenemies,” a portmanteau of friend and enemy; that is, an association between two political entities, which form positive tactical bonds despite a fundament strategic dislike. “In the nation-state context, frenemies are able to straddle the gray area between adversity and alliance, and can concurrently castigate and embrace one another.” Graphically, the relationship is represented by a sinusoidal cycle that follows a path of somewhat unpredictable ups and downs.