BY SEMIH IDIZ
MILLIYET - Iranian supreme spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei rejecting the hand of friendship that US President Barack Obama extended in his Nevruz message shows the deep concerns felt by the mullahs of late. This also explains why radical fundamentalist Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the mullahs' favorite, said Iran doesn't need Turkey's mediation with Washington. The greatest nightmare of the mullahs, who have largely managed to survive up to now thanks to the political benefits of enmity against the US and Europe, is the liberal wing in the country growing stronger, along with normalized relations with the West.
This picture is getting clearer in light of June's Iranian presidential elections, which could put Ahmedinejad in a tight spot. In short, the policy of tension with the West suits the mullahs and their policies. This might even be the most important reason for their existence. They're scared that if this tension starts to disappear, Iranians' longing for freedom in their daily lives will become apparent. That's why former President Mohammed Khatami, the liberal candidate, withdrew his presidential candidacy in order to strengthen the hand of Mir Hussein Musavi, the reformist candidate.
Of course, some say this step helped Ahmadinejad. But many believe the opposite. One of Ahmedinejad's biggest problems is the poor economy and unemployment. Obviously the people will need a change, and so see better relations with the US and Europe as a positive development. It's a great mistake to see the Iranian people only as fundamentalist radicals who follow the mullahs in lockstep. Anyone who has visited Iran knows this. Besides, Iranians have strong national feelings and so deserve the respect of the entire world. That's why Obama often mentions respect in his statements about Iran.
So it's inevitable that the mullahs are worried, because they have held the people together with the fear of 'external enemies,' the cheap trick of radicals worldwide. The efforts of this 'enemy' to become a friend don't suit them. But a duty for Turkey might emerge from this situation. We know that this duty wouldn't be mediation. Instead, Ankara will need to convince the Iranian administration not to immediately reject the messages of friendship and peace that it gets. This is the requirement of the new era declared by Ahmet Davutoglu, chief foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in relations with the US. Moreover, the existence of a fundamentalist regime next door to us which hopes to benefit from tension over its nuclear program does nothing to help Turkey.