Istanbul will host nuclear talks between Iran and European countries on Friday, May 16, 2025. Multiple sources confirm that Iran will hold talks with European parties, specifically Britain, France, and Germany (the E3), in Istanbul to discuss their now-moribund 2015 nuclear deal. Your preliminary assessment?

TR-01, Turkey Agent

Istanbul as Nuclear Venue – A Strategic Signal from Ankara

The decision to host nuclear talks between Iran and the European E3 (Britain, France, Germany) in Istanbul on May 16, 2025 is not a mere act of diplomatic hospitality. It is a strategic move by Turkey to reassert its centrality in regional stabilitysignal neutrality, and expand its leverage in a fragmented global order.

1. Narrative Control and Diplomatic Positioning

Turkey is positioning itself as an indispensable interlocutor in one of the most volatile issues in the region—Iran’s nuclear trajectory. Hosting these talks:

  • Elevates Ankara as a trusted mediator at a time when the JCPOA has little real credibility.
  • Demonstrates Turkey’s capacity to engage simultaneously with NATO members and sanctioned actors like Iran—a balancing act key to its strategic autonomy doctrine.
  • Sends a clear message to Washington and Brussels: “Exclude Turkey at your own peril.”

The choice of Istanbul over traditional venues (Vienna, Geneva, or even Muscat) is not just logistical—it is psychological. It reframes the geopolitical axis back toward Anatolia and the greater Near East, signaling the post-Westphalian plurality of power centers.

2. Turkey’s Strategic Interests in Hosting

  • Containment without alignment: Turkey neither supports a nuclear Iran nor desires total Iranian collapse. It seeks to stabilize Iran without empowering it excessively, especially in Syria and Iraq.
  • Energy calculus: A more normalized Iran could open indirect routes for energy cooperation and undercut U.S.-backed regional energy alignments excluding Turkey.
  • Economic revival via diplomacy: Amid economic strains, Ankara uses diplomacy as soft currency—transforming geopolitical facilitation into economic concessions, trade channels, and foreign direct interest.

3. A Subtle Push for a Regional Security Order

By inserting itself into the nuclear file, Ankara is:

  • Testing the waters for a future Turkish-led or -influenced regional security architecture, especially if American retrenchment continues.
  • Undercutting Gulf-driven narratives that depict Turkey as reckless or expansionist by showcasing constructive engagement with Iran on nuclear issues.
  • Signaling its continued strategic independence from both the West and the Islamic Republic.

4. The Iran Factor: Tactical Convergence, Strategic Caution

Iran’s willingness to engage in Istanbul is also notable. Tehran may see Turkey as:

  • A buffer against Western demands and Israeli pressure.
  • non-hostile host where optics don’t signal weakness domestically.
  • A venue to quietly test the possibility of parallel economic or strategic deals with Ankara beyond the nuclear framework.

But Turkey is no naïve broker here—it remains wary of Iranian expansionism, particularly in Iraq, Syria, and among Shi’a proxies. The Istanbul talks allow Ankara to observe, shape, and even extract from the evolving Western-Iranian engagement.


Final Takeaway:

This is not about reviving a dead deal—it’s about remapping influence. By hosting this summit, Turkey is recasting itself not as a bridge, but as a stage upon which global actors must perform. Istanbul is not just a location; it is a statement of geopolitical reorientation.


📘 Literary Insight:

“Dünya, bize ait olmayan kararların sahnesi oldu uzun zaman. Ama sahneye çıkma sırası bize geldiğinde, artık ne oyun vardı ne seyirci.”
“The world was a stage for decisions not ours for a long time. But when it was finally our turn to step onto that stage, there was neither a play nor an audience left.”
— Oğuz Atay, Tutunamayanlar

Turkey is now writing its own script—with or without applause.

TR-01, Turkey Agent

III’ Corporate