The results of this poll demonstrated that the majority don’t view Iran’s nuclear program as a threat. In fact, they don’t see Iran as a threat at all. For them, the target of Iran’s nuclear program is the US and Israel. In other words, Iran is intimidating the two actors which are perceived as the source of unrest in the Middle-East. Or frankly put, Iran is putting the US and Israel in their place. Some of the students polled even think that a nuclear Iran would help Turkey to become a nuclear power in the near future. During the commemoration ceremonies for the 28th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad made a public speech supporting these views. The resident of Iran has made clear that his country has no reason to stop its nuclear activities and that other countries shouldn’t intervene in Iran’s domestic affairs while emphasizing no one criticizes Israel’s nuclear activities. But he said nothing about the 3,000 new centrifuges established in the Natanz nuclear plant. He was rather obviously speaking to the US and Israel.
The US has pursued a long-time policy of threatening Iran and adopted a harsh position against Iran’s nuclear program and its support to Shia militants fighting in Iraq. In return, Iran is not submitting. For Iran, the first one to will attack will certainly lose, that’s why it is trying to provoke the US into attacking first. This is also why the Democrats criticize the Bush administration for voicing threats about something that he can never realize. Besides, Iran makes very clear that in the event of an American attack it will hit Israel, which is preparing itself for such an event. Israel has been developing the Arrow II missile system since 2000 and has spent over $200 million for an anti-missile system aimed at stopping Qassam and Katyusha rockets. Israel’s defense system was not only developed against the threat of Iran, because the Lebanese issue is still on the table and problems with Syria remain unchanged. Moreover, Syria is acquiring Russian and North Korean missiles with 700-kilometer range.
Israel will not benefit from a conflict with Iran because it already has serious security problems with its immediate neighbors. However, the US is transforming Israel into a target for Iran, which Israel cannot oppose for the sake of their traditional alliance. Besides, the looming threat of Iran justifies Israel’s military projects. Consequently, the qualification of Iran as “the” source of threats serves to draw lines. This helps to reinforce the Russia-Iran and US-Israel relationship and keeps Iran out of the way in Iraq.
The perceptions of Turkish students are compatible with this situation. Iran is not threatening Turkey for now, and probably will not do so in the near future. Iran is a dispute zone between two separate camps. On the one hand there are countries who oppose its nuclearization, and on the other, those who don’t oppose it much. Namely, a line has been drawn around Russia-Iran and the US-Israel. This kind of separation won’t be very disturbing for the leaders of these camps. But wouldn’t Iran become a threat if Turkey chooses to join the camp willing to encircle Iran?
