Turkey seeks to establish itself as an 'ally' in the region

Egypt-Turkey talks are weakening

photo_camera PHOTO/AFP - Combination of Turkey's President and leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Rapprochement between Turkey and Egypt remains on a knife-edge, despite the fact that the two countries have begun to take the first steps towards diplomatic cooperation. While Turkey continues to openly praise Egypt's role in the region, the Arab country does not show the same enthusiasm when it comes to dealing with Turkey.

For Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, talks between Egypt and Turkey are still "at their lowest point", although for Erdogan "there is no obstacle to mutual understanding". 

erdogan-presidente-turquia

In this regard, Erdogan complains that he does not see the same "eagerness and enthusiasm" on the part of Egypt to continue to bring positions closer together, something that undermines his attempts to try to break out of its particular isolation in order to begin building relations with the countries of the region, with special attention to those countries that form part of the MENA region. In this vein, Turkey's designs to move closer to Egypt also stem from Erdogan's attempts to gain advantages in the Eastern Mediterranean, which has also brought him closer to countries such as Libya and to keep negotiations with Greece open. 

For Egypt, these declarations by Erdogan are not enough to consolidate understanding for the time being. Islamism, Turkey's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the constant suspicions and allegations that Turkey is accused of employing jihadist mercenaries in wars such as the one in Syria are factors that do not convince Egypt and its president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

manifestaciones-islamistas-egipto

Although Turkey and Egypt staged a historic meeting in September 2021 after almost a decade of estrangement over differing positions on the Muslim Brotherhood, relations remain strained.

Initially, it was Egypt that reached out to Turkey with the aim of ending Islamist influence. In this sense, open cooperation between Turkey and Egypt is a blow to the Brotherhood, as Turkey has positioned itself as the Brotherhood's main safe haven. However, in relations between Cairo and Ankara, Al-Sisi is cautious about reaching an understanding with Turkey because of the latter's ties with Islamists in Egypt. In this sense, Egypt has demanded the extradition of 10,000 members of the Islamist organisation in Turkey, something that has not yet taken place. 

erdogan-zelensky-ucrania-egipto
Turkish diplomacy, also a protagonist in Ukraine

Ukraine has been at war for five months. In all this time, Europe, together with the United States and the countries of the Middle East, have been engaged in a long-distance race in record time to reach pacts that consolidate their power and influence in the different regions. 

While Europe and the United States have joined forces to denounce the Russian invasion, and have continued to send both arms and economic aid to Ukraine, other countries, such as Turkey, have gradually established themselves as states that try to play a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine in order to give an international image of a "reliable country".

putin-erdogan-raisi

In the case of Turkey, the Ottoman country continues to play both sides. On the one hand, it has condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine from the outset, but at the same time it has refused to participate in the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West, even as a NATO member.

The weight of the Black Sea, as well as Turkey's geostrategic position and trade ties with both Moscow and Kiev, in addition to common interests with Russia in countries such as Syria, are key to understanding Turkey's role as a diplomatic agent.
 
With this strategy, diplomatically similar to that of other countries such as China, Turkey is trying to make its way towards fulfilling the ambitions of its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is trying to make Turkey a regional power, despite the internal crises it is going through. Turkey thus wants to assert its presence without positioning itself reliably on either side. This situation has led Ukraine and Russia to agree to hold meetings with Turkey with the intention of learning about each other's interests, although nothing has been officially agreed. 

More in Politics