ANKARA: Turkey’s bid to mediate in the escalating crisis between its eastern neighbour Iran and Nato ally Britain reflects Ankara’s ambitions to act as a bridge between East and West, analysts said on Friday.

The Turkish government moved quickly to try and defuse the tense stand-off between Tehran and London that followed Iran’s seizure of 15 British sailors and marines a week ago, but observers here said its role would be limited.

“As a country that has the confidence of both (Britain and Iran), Turkey is trying to ease the crisis, but it can only get limited results as both sides harden their positions,” said Arzu Celalifer, a researcher at the Ankara-based think-tank USAK.Huseyin Bagci, an international relations expert, agreed: “Turkey is playing only a minor role. Even if it achieves some success, it will be equally minor.” Bagci suggested that Iran was pursuing a policy of “deliberately humiliating” Britain.“Iran is unlikely to respond to any intervention that aims to defuse the crisis because it is actually trying to boost its standing in the Muslim world as a country capable of defying the West,” he said.

Leading Turkey’s effort is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has spoken to the Iranian president and foreign minister to secure the release of the sole woman among the detained British personnel and to obtain access for Turkish diplomats to the captives.

Erdogan’s initiative followed talks between Turkish leaders and British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett in Ankara on Tuesday.

Although Tehran initially announced on Wednesday that it would release servicewoman Faye Turney, it backed off on Thursday after London decided to suspend all official bilateral business and took the crisis to the United Nations.

Ahmadinejad promised Erdogan in a telephone conversation late on Thursday that Iran would reconsider Turney’s release, a Turkish official said.

After years of animosity over accusations that the Islamic regime in Iran is seeking to undermine Turkey’s secular system, Ankara and Tehran have markedly mended fences in recent years – brought closer notably by the turmoil in their common neighbour Iraq.

Wary of fresh military conflict at its doorstep, Ankara has also lobbied Tehran for a peaceful resolution of the international row over its nuclear programme.

In recent years, Turkey has shown a marked increase in interest in the Middle East, where its secular system, traditionally pro-Western orientation and close ties with Israel long made it the black sheep of the Islamic fold.—AFP