ABSTRACT
Turkey signed the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) in 1969 and ratified it in 1980. The formulation of the foreign policy doctrines of 'zero problems with neighbors' and 'Strategic Depth' has inspired categorisations of Turkish Middle Eastern policies as that of a middle power, of a 'pivotal' state in the region, and of a 'bridge' or 'facilitator' in conflict resolution. In its foreign policy discourse on the emerging Iranian nuclear crisis, however, Turkey conveyed a normative divergence from the US government advocating for sanctions and from an approach employing pressure on Iran over the latter's lack of transparency. When the Iranian nuclear file eventually was taken from the IAEA to the UNSC in 2006, Turkey criticised the use of sanctions as a political instrument and emphasised that sanctions can complement diplomacy, but should never be an end in themselves. The period of Turkey's pro-active shuttle diplomacy in the Iranian nuclear dossier in 2009 and 2010 is an illuminating period to analyse.
