Ankara: economy, diplomacy, and the new Erdogan-al-Sisi relationship
The Egyptian president visits his Turkish counterpart, turning the page on a decade of divisions, that started with a clash over the Muslim Brotherhood. Yet, the two countries never fully broke relations. Some 17 agreements are signed. The realignment is also favoured by a shared vision on Gaza.
Ankara (AsiaNews) – On his first visit to Turkey, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was welcomed yesterday in Ankara with full honours by his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, putting to an end years of tensions and divisions.
The meeting between the two leaders of the Muslim world and the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) ended a decade of frosty relations, setting the stage for a new era in bilateral relations between, especially government-to-government.
Yet despite past tensions and hostilities, economic ties and trade were never cut. During this visit, the two countries signed 17 agreements.
Sisi arrived in Ankara with a large delegation for the one-day visit after the two heads of state held their first official meeting in Cairo last February after years of frost.
“My first visit to this friendly country is an indication that the relations between the two countries will develop much further,” the Egyptian president told journalists at a joint press conference after three hours of talks between the leaders and the two countries’ delegations.
Ankara and Cairo had broken off relations in 2013 after President al-Sisi, then defence minister, ousted President Mohamed Morsi, an ally of Turkey and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
At the time, Erdogan said he would never talk to "anyone" like Sisi, who a year later became president of the Arab world's most populous nation.
Deep tensions and divisions continued, but relations have improved in the last two years thanks to a realignment on several major issues, not least the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas on which there is a shared vision.
Despite a certain distance between previous leaders, trade between Egypt and Turkey never stopped in the last decade, so much so that Turkey is Egypt's fifth-largest trading partner, while Egypt is Turkey's first partner in Africa.
Returning to yesterday's meeting, the two countries signed agreements to deepen their cooperation on several issues, from energy to culture.
“My visit to Cairo has marked a new turning point in our relations,” Erdogan said. “We are advancing our improving relations even further with the return visit of my dear brother,” he added.
Erdogan’s language certainly represents a turning point for the Turkish leader, who in 2013 had vowed that he would never shake hands with Sisi after he cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood.
Over time, however, economic reasons and business opportunities prevailed, prompting the two leaders of the Muslim world to boost political and diplomatic ties as well. This has brought Turkey closer not only to Egypt, but also to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Taking advantage of its strategic position, Turkey seeks to participate in regional energy projects of primary importance to deliver Egyptian natural gas to Europe, amid Western efforts to cut their dependence on Russia.
“We are eager to enhance our energy cooperation with Egypt, especially in natural gas and nuclear energy,” Erdogan said.
The Turkish leader also stressed the goal of boosting trade between the two countries to US$ 15 billion from the current US$ 10 billion, at a time when foreign direct investment by Turkish companies in Egypt rose to US$ 3 billion in the past year.
Finally, the two leaders signed a joint statement reiterating their willingness to increase coordination on a number of regional issues, including Gaza, Libya, and the Horn of Africa.
These are signs of a progressive rapprochement between Ankara and Cairo on various foreign policy issues, particularly in the Libyan conflict where the two have backed rival groups in the North African country’s ongoing civil war.
“We must work together, especially in addressing regional issues, to prevent humanitarian crises,” Sisi said.
To mend relations in the region, Ankara has also abandoned its overt support for the Muslim Brotherhood, designated as a terrorist organisation by Egypt and several Gulf states.
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