After a decade of estrangement and diplomatic clashes, Turkey and Egypt have normalized relations on Tuesday with the assignment of ambassadors to the respective countries. It is the closest rapprochement after breaking relations in 2013, when Abdel Fatah al-Sisi assumed power in Egypt after overthrowing the government of Mohamed Morsi, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood supported by Ankara, through a coup. The decision was announced in a joint statement by the foreign ministries of Ankara and Cairo, within the framework of the diplomatic rapprochement between the two governments, which began at the end of 2020. “This step aims to normalize relations between the two countries once more and demonstrate mutual determination to work and improve bilateral relations, for the benefit of the Turkish and Egyptian people,” the statement said. The appointed ambassadors are known in both countries since they had until now acted as commercial managers: Ankara has appointed Salih Mutlu Sen as ambassador and Cairo Amr Elhamamy.
The rapprochement is part of Turkey’s efforts to repair diplomatic relations with countries in the region and put an end to its international isolation, in the midst of an inflationary crisis that has plagued the country for more than a year. In recent months it has repaired ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Turkey and Egypt withdrew their ambassadors in 2013, when tensions erupted after Morsi was ousted by the Egyptian army. Erdogan called Sisi’s action a “coup” and welcomed members in exile of the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization designated “terrorist” by the Egyptian government. The distance between the two countries was aggravated by other diplomatic disputes, such as the support of opposing factions in Libya or maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean. Cairo interpreted the Turkish military intervention in Libya as a threat to its national security and warned that it would be ready to carry out military missions outside the country. Ankara supported the UN-backed Government of the National Authority (GNA), while Cairo backed General Khalifa Haftar. Cairo also rejected the Turkey-Libya maritime deal, which has created serious disputes over maritime jurisdictions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Last year, Egypt signed an agreement for its part with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, which angered Ankara.
“Yesterday was yesterday and today is today,” says political analyst Ihsan Catalan wryly. “This attempt to normalize relations between Egypt and Turkey began at the end of 2020, that is, before rapprochement with other countries took place. It is a slow process,” he explains. “I think that Al Sisi was waiting to see the result of the Turkish elections to see who he was going to deal with. Normalizing relations with Egypt is very important because it can open the door to a rapprochement with other Mediterranean countries: Libya and even Greece or Syria” , Add.
During this decade of estrangement, trade relations between the two countries have not ceased, tripling the trade volume to eleven billion dollars, in trade in electronics, textiles, medicines and gas.
The rapprochement accelerated after the meeting between Erdogan and Al Sisi during the celebration of the 2022 soccer World Cup in Qatar. “Of course we want talks with them. Establish peace with those who oppose us in the Mediterranean. Hopefully we will continue on the right track,” Erdogan declared after meeting with his Egyptian counterpart. In recent months, the respective foreign ministers have met in both countries and Sisi is expected to visit Ankara later this month, according to speculation in the Turkish press.
With the rapprochement, pressure has also increased on the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey, with the closure of television channels critical of Sisi that broadcast from Istanbul. A little over a month ago, the opposition channel Mekameleen closed, which has had to relaunch its broadcast online in several European cities. Despite the indications, the spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey, Ali Hamed, denied the pressure from Ankara in an interview with the Turkish BBC.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project