Turkish hydropolitics and its effect on Iran-Turkmenistan diplomatic relations in line with the development of national security

Subject Areas :

Reza Farhadi ¹ , Masoud Motalebi ² , Ali Mohammadzadeh ³

1 - PhD student, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities, Azadshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Azadshahr, Iran
3 - Assistant Professor, Political Science Department, Faculty of Humanities, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran

Received: 2023-08-24 Accepted : 2023-10-10 Published : 2023-01-21

Keywords: Iran, Turkmenistan, political relations, Hydropolitics, Etrak border river,

Abstract :

In the present era and especially in recent decades, water is considered as an important strategic factor in the foreign and security policy of governments and nations. In such a situation, fresh water as a non-renewable and non-reproducible resource brings this competition to a high level of foreign policy, this factor has become a serious crisis and tension between countries in the border rivers. The country of Turkmenistan, whose land consists of the Qaraqom desert, has obtained its water needs from common and transboundary waters in different eras. The strong need of the two countries for the water of Atrak River in the two periods before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union has always been one of the controversial issues of the two countries. Based on the descriptive-analytical method, this research tries to answer the question, what are the political-security challenges of Iran and Turkmenistan regarding the joint exploitation of Atrak and its hydropolitics? The findings of the research indicate that the Islamic Republic of Iran's sovereign diplomacy regarding Atrak in the two periods before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union was tolerance, tolerance and avoidance of tension, and this caused the bold and greater productivity of Turkmenistan. Turkey has become outside the rules of international law. Based on this, Iran should take a new approach towards the Turkish hydropolitics and the two countries should turn the imminent and possible conflicts into cooperation and development by providing appropriate solutions.