Yet Ankara's growing attachment to Tehran is troublesome. Part of the blame can be laid on such European leaders as French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose opposition to Turkey's membership in the European Union has inflamed anti-Western sentiment within Turkey. Another factor is the country's newfound self-confidence. Its economic clout and geopolitical importance have put it in a position to realize long-held desires to be a major player on the world diplomatic stage. Flirting with Iran is a way of asserting independence from the global powers that be. - Musa Yılmaz