Yemen’s Brothers brace for expulsion from Turkey

Noura Bendari

The regime of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has started following a new approach to the Muslim Brotherhood whose members used Turkey as a refuge in the past years.

However, Ankara is mending fences with regional states, especially Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

This is raising concern among Brotherhood members and leaders who shudder at the prospect of improved relations between the two sides, one that opens up the possibility of their expulsion from Turkey.

Improved relations between Turkey and these countries also open the door for the repatriation of Muslim Brotherhood members and consequently their imprisonment because most of these members are wanted in their countries against the background of crimes they had committed in them.

Yemen’s Brothers

Yemeni members of the Muslim Brotherhood will likely be the first to be trampled on because of the new Turkish policy direction.

This is especially true after Yemen’s Islah Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, expressed fears that the Turkish government would expel its leaders and members from Turkey.

The party expected this to happen after Turkey gave these leaders and members 30 days to leave.

The Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party’s government informed Yemeni Brothers that they are no longer welcome inside Turkey.

The members unwelcomed in Turkey include, of course, Yemeni Nobel Laureate and Brotherhood affiliate, Tawakkol Karman.

They also include radical preacher Abdul Majeed al-Zindani.

Turkey’s possible expulsion of Yemen’s Brothers comes as Ankara seeks to restore diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, for the first time in 6 years.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Zayed, visited the Turkish capital on November 24.

He signed a series of trade agreements with Turkey. Both sides also agreed to mend fences, something that will contribute to regional stability.