Factions Should Give Priority to National Interests: Seyed Marouf Mousavi
July 25, 1999 - 0:0
TEHRAN -- Considering Iran's policy of detente and the present trend of relations with other countries, Turkey's two attacks against Iran cannot be justified, said a university professor here yesterday. Speaking to the TEHRAN TIMES, a political sciences professor at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University, Dr. Amir Mohammad Haj Yousefi, said that one analysis in this case is that since Turkey took advantage of existing tensions between Iran and the Arab states, now it sees the warming of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia to its detriment.
"Iran has enhanced its friendly relations with Armenia and Greece, the two countries that do not have good relations with Turkey," Haj Yousefi added. "Turkey might have had two goals behind its recent strikes against Iran. One is its inclination to drive Iran toward adopting a secularist policy, both in its domestic and foreign policies. The second incentive might have been close relations between Turkey and Israel." He said that regional powers can get close to each other, that Iran and Saudi Arabia could form a unified power in the region.
Regarding recent events in Tehran, the university professor said, "When a foreign power commences a strike against a country, domestic groups and factions often overlook their differences and replace them with national interests." Meanwhile, a Majlis representative from Kurdestan told the TEHRAN TIMES on Turkey's recent attack against Iran, "By attacking Iran, Turkey showed how dependent it is on and subservient to the U.S. and Israel." Seyed Marouf Mousavi said the United States and Israel might have asked Turkey to compound domestic disturbances in Iran by attacking border cities.
"The necessity for expansion of relations between Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt is felt today more than ever. Such relations should be improved so that these countries can withstand attacks by opportunistic foreigners. The ruling factions in the country should forego their struggle to wield power by observing political rules. They should give priority to national interests over their factional interests."
"Iran has enhanced its friendly relations with Armenia and Greece, the two countries that do not have good relations with Turkey," Haj Yousefi added. "Turkey might have had two goals behind its recent strikes against Iran. One is its inclination to drive Iran toward adopting a secularist policy, both in its domestic and foreign policies. The second incentive might have been close relations between Turkey and Israel." He said that regional powers can get close to each other, that Iran and Saudi Arabia could form a unified power in the region.
Regarding recent events in Tehran, the university professor said, "When a foreign power commences a strike against a country, domestic groups and factions often overlook their differences and replace them with national interests." Meanwhile, a Majlis representative from Kurdestan told the TEHRAN TIMES on Turkey's recent attack against Iran, "By attacking Iran, Turkey showed how dependent it is on and subservient to the U.S. and Israel." Seyed Marouf Mousavi said the United States and Israel might have asked Turkey to compound domestic disturbances in Iran by attacking border cities.
"The necessity for expansion of relations between Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt is felt today more than ever. Such relations should be improved so that these countries can withstand attacks by opportunistic foreigners. The ruling factions in the country should forego their struggle to wield power by observing political rules. They should give priority to national interests over their factional interests."