Analysis: Turkey's Iran standoff role irks associates

Turkey's attempts to mediate Iran's nuclear standoff with the West have evolved into an violent effort to forestall new U.N. sanctions. The assertive campaign is placing Turkey in resistance to longtime allies Israel and the United States. It also raises the question of whether NATO's only Muslim member is becoming less of a bridge between East and West than a powerful international supporter for its neighbors in the Middle East.

Turkey and Brazil reached a deal in Tehran a week ago below which Iran would ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey, but it failed to ease concerns in the West that Tehran will carry on to enrich uranium to higher levels with the aim of building a nuclear weapon. The U.S. introduced a decision last week calling for a series of economic and trade restrictions after winning support from China and Russia.

That prompted Turkey, a impermanent member of the Security Council, to send letters to 26 countries, speaking against sanctions and seeking supports for the envisaged swap deal."Turkey wants to avoid the escalation of tensions with Iran to avoid suffering from it economically," said Nihat Ali Ozcan of the Economic Policy Research Institute in Ankara. "It is also seeking to raise its profile in the Muslim world but its loyalty is at risk in the eyes of the West."