Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the Gaza war will be a top topic of discussion during his summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
“I will discuss various issues with Mr. Sisi, including the economy, trade, tourism, energy and defense,” Erdogan said in a televised address Wednesday ahead of the two leaders' summit in Egypt.
After years of diplomatic hostility, relations between the two countries have cooled recently. But while analysts broadly welcomed the detente, they were cautious about how much of a difference it would make in the continuing war in Gaza.
After talks between the two foreign ministries, the two presidents were photographed shaking hands on the occasion of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, before appointing ambassadors last July.
old disagreements
Relations have soured since former general El-Sisi overthrew President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, an ally of President Erdogan, in a “popular coup” in 2013.
Since then, the two countries have exchanged warlocks, from supporting rival parliaments in the Libyan civil war to opposing sides in the Qatar blockade, where Turkey has provided diplomatic and substantive support to the country throughout the crisis since 2017. They have competed in various regional conflicts. Until 2021 as Egypt and other countries have severed diplomatic relations.
Gaza has long been at the forefront of both countries' foreign policy. Egypt has had full diplomatic relations with Israel since 1979, when they were established during the Camp David Accords. But Cairo has often found these relationships tested by Israel's actions toward Gaza and Palestine.
Relations between Türkiye and Israel are not so cordial. President Erdoğan has consistently spoken on behalf of the Palestinian people, recently calling on Israel to recognize an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.
“Turkey-Egypt cooperation is unlikely to have a significant impact on Israeli military operations in Gaza,” said Saif Islam, an associate at London-based risk analyst S-RM. Ta.
“They will primarily ask Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire or at least limit civilian casualties in Gaza, and demand more humanitarian aid to Gaza,” he said.
Islamists say neither side intends to further inflame tensions and that El-Sissi is likely hoping to gain support from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other countries to reduce the humanitarian impact of the war in Gaza. Ta.
ties that bind
Economic ties have endured despite current circumstances and past challenges. Egypt and Turkey have enjoyed a healthy trade relationship for many years, with special focus on travel, tourism and energy.
“Financial ties remained unchecked,” said Ahmed Morsi, a senior researcher at the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). “Turkey continues to serve as an aviation hub to Egypt, while joint ventures between the two countries “Business and tourism operations continue throughout the period.” ,” he added.
path forward
Analysts say building ties between the two countries will depend on identifying areas of common practical interest.
“I think what we're seeing is more of a pause in competition in different regions like Libya and Syria, rather than the rise of new regional dynamics,” Morsy said.
“States are looking for areas that they can develop and benefit from.”
Egypt's exports to Turkey rose to $4 billion in 2022 from $3 billion the previous year, according to government statistics.
Last September, Egypt's trade minister announced that he wants to increase bilateral trade between the two countries from $10 billion to $15 billion over the next five years.
Further accelerating the need for cooperation is the escalating energy competition that has occurred since Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent prices soaring, and the issue was brought up by both leaders during last year's G20 summit in India. It is reported that there was a discussion between
Turkey is increasingly looking to Egypt for liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies as several long-term contracts expire.
Similarly, Turkish companies are keen to relocate to Egypt to improve access to international markets, as labor costs are relatively low due to the Egyptian pound's struggles.
However, Islam added that while neither Turkey nor Egypt is yet economically dependent on the other, complex domestic economic difficulties have prioritized dialogue between the two countries over political advantages. .
“The lifting of the Qatar blockade also created an opportunity for countries with significant differences to try to resolve their differences.
“In fact, Egypt and Turkey have been slower than other countries to repair relations, but recent issues such as the Gaza crisis and the security situation in the Red Sea have prompted them to develop closer ties.”
Few would doubt that the Gaza war gave an impetus to the gradual improvement in relations between Egypt and Turkey.
