Turkey wooing Egypt: Ankara’s objectives from reconciliation efforts (1 – 5)

Mahmud al-Batakoshi

Turkey has been wooing Egypt for some time now, proving that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has no alternative but mending fences with the country, the largest and most important in the Arab region.

Improving relations with Egypt is also a political necessity for Erdogan, especially after the coming to power in the US by Joe Biden.

The latest Turkish remarks acquire their importance from the fact that they were made by almost all leaders and symbols of the Turkish regime, starting from the Turkish president to the leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Erdogan said his country’s cooperation with Egypt in the areas of intelligence, diplomacy and the economy continues.

There is no problem in that, he said.

Nevertheless, he wished this cooperation would continue and develop beyond the present limit.

Erdogan hinted at the necessity of demarcating maritime borders with Egypt.

“The Egyptian and Turkish peoples are not strangers to each other,” the Turkish president said.

“Egyptians should not be on the side of Greece,” he added.

Egyptians’ presence by Greece, he said, is not possible, and we would like to see them where they should be.

Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu claimed that his country and Egypt had resumed diplomatic contacts.

He added that the two states were on the road to restoring full normal relations.

Cavusoglu said the two countries had not set any preconditions to restore normal relations.

Turkey said it appreciated Egypt’s respect for its continental shelf in the Mediterranean.

However, Ankara has overlooked the fact that Egypt had never transgressed the boundaries of any country in the past.

Chief Counselor to the Turkish presidency İbrahim Kalın said his country would harrow for better relations with Egypt soon as the Arab country takes one step on the road to good relations with Turkey.

Turkish Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar said Egypt is the heart of the Arab world.

Turkey and Egypt, he said, have close cultural and historical relations.

He added that Egypt’s respect of Turkey’s maritime boundaries is beneficial to the two countries and for regional peace as well.