In a new step towards strengthening relations between Egypt and Turkey, Turkish Economy and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati will visit Egypt on June 1st. The visit, the first by a Turkish minister in Cairo in nine years, marks an important step in Turkey-Egypt bilateral relations following the 2013 diplomatic rift.
In a May 18 statement broadcast on state-run TRT, the ministry said Nebati would lead a delegation to Egypt to attend the annual meetings of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank Board of Directors. He said Nebati would also hold bilateral talks with his Egyptian counterparts and representatives of the Islamic Development Bank. No further details were given on the topics to be discussed.
The Islamic Development Bank’s annual meeting, to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh on June 1-4, will examine the bank’s future strategies and the latest developments related to the Turkish economy and current economic policies.
The announcement of Nebati’s visit to Cairo comes just weeks after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia on April 28, the first time in almost five years, after which he spoke about Turkey’s opening to Egypt. The announcement also follows two rounds of exploratory talks that began last year between the deputy foreign ministers of Egypt and Turkey on steps needed to normalize relations bilaterally and regionally.
In May 2021, a Turkish delegation led by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal traveled to Cairo to participate in exploratory talks on the first major move towards reconciliation. Onal and his Egyptian counterpart Hamdi Sanad Loza had similar talks in Ankara again in September.
Since the beginning of 2021, Turkey-Egypt relations have improved slightly. Speaking to reporters in Ankara on April 14th, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoλουlu announced “the beginning of a new phase in relations between the two countries” and noted that reciprocal visits and talks could take place. However, despite the relative improvement in relations after the meetings of the Deputy Foreign Ministers, progress in Egyptian-Turkish relations is slow and the two countries have not yet agreed to exchange ambassadors. In November 2021, Erdogan expressed his country’s willingness to improve ties with Israel and Egypt. Speaking to reporters, he also said he was ready to exchange ambassadors with Egypt on a specific timetable as part of a more comprehensive plan.
In recent months, Turkey has accelerated steps towards normalizing relations with Egypt. In April, the Turkish government shut down the Mekameleen satellite channel linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. In a statement on April 30th, the station said it had permanently closed its operations in Turkey and closed its studios there after eight years. He said he had decided to relocate outside Turkey, without specifying where he would broadcast from next day. According to several reports, the Turkish authorities have asked the administration of the Mekameleen Brotherhood to either stop its programs condemning the Egyptian regime or to stop broadcasting from Turkish territory.
Some Muslim Brotherhood activists have recently left Turkey after the Turkish government did not renew their residence permits. In mid-March, the latter asked Brotherhood activist Yasser al-Omda to leave its territory after posting a video criticizing Egypt.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, Hassan Nafaa, a political science professor at Cairo University, praised Nebati’s upcoming visit to Cairo. “It is urgent for the two countries to boost economic and trade co-operation. The Egyptian market is very promising for Turkish products.” He said the visit, the first at ministerial level, shows that the two sides have made huge strides towards reconciliation. According to Egyptian government sources who spoke to Sky News in February, trade between the two countries increased by a third – $ 1.6 billion – in 2021. Nafaa noted that Nebati’s visit had been preceded by other positive steps, including closure of the Brotherhood-affiliated stations broadcasting from Turkey. He explained, “Turkey will not sever ties with the Brotherhood, but it can extradite to Egypt those involved in crimes and justly convicted.”
Political researcher Munir Abib told Al-Monitor, “The recent Turkish steps are a positive thing. They include bilateral talks and visits, as well as the closure of a Brotherhood channel. [Τουρκία] “It has also prevented some members and supporters of the Brotherhood from speaking out against the Egyptian regime, including Moataz Matar and Muhammad Nasser.”
Turkey and Egypt severed political ties in 2013 after Turkish authorities opposed the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi, a leading figure of the Muslim Brotherhood and “Egypt’s first democratically elected president”, according to Ankara. The latter had also refused to recognize the legitimacy of incumbent President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power in 2014. Turkey had also described Morsi’s ouster as a “military coup”, while Egyptian authorities described the mass protests as a revolution. demonstrations that led to his ouster and accused Turkey of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which Cairo has officially designated as a terrorist organization.
Petros Kranias
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Source: Capital
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