ERDOĞAN TRAVELS TO SAUDI ARABIA AS RELATIONS WARM

Thu 28 April 2022:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan will visit Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to his office, in the latest phase in Ankara’s regional bridge-building efforts.

According to a statement from Erdoan’s office, talks with Saudi officials during the two-day visit would focus on measures to expand cooperation. The two parties will discuss regional and international issues.

Erdogan will meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz as well as as well as the Crown Prince MBS on Thursday, according to senior Turkish officials.

In a US intelligence report revealed a year ago, the killing of Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate provoked global outcry and put pressure on the prince, who was claimed to have authorized the operation to murder or capture Khashoggi. The Saudi government has long denied the prince’s involvement.

A Saudi court jailed eight people over the killing in September 2020 — a trial described as a sham by rights groups — but Turkey also launched a case in absentia against 26 Saudi suspects.

Turkey this month decided to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents on Turkish soil. Its decision to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia removed a key obstacle to improved ties and Erdogan’s visit.

Over the past year, Ankara has embarked on a diplomatic push to reset relations with countries such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia after years of antagonism following the 2011 Arab Spring.

Turkey‘s support for popular movements linked to the Muslim Brotherhood initially spurred the break with Arab regimes that saw the brotherhood’s political vision as a threat.

Later developments, particularly the blockade of Turkish ally Qatar by its Gulf neighbors, reinforced the split. The lifting of the embargo by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain early last year paved the way for reconciliation.

Rapprochement

“Turkey and Saudi Arabia will seek to develop all aspects of relations between the two countries during the visit and exchange views on regional and international issues,” Erdogan’s office said in a statement.

The trip is part of a broader effort to mend relations with Gulf countries after years of hostility fueled by Erdogan’s support for Muslim Brotherhood-aligned groups during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. Erdogan is looking to bolster trade and lure investment from oil exporters as Turkey’s floundering economy costs him support ahead of elections taking place next year.

Shipments to Saudi Arabia, once a key market for Turkey, slumped in late 2020, coinciding with what Turkish exporters said was an unofficial boycott. Last year, Turkish exports were just more than $200m in 2021, down from about $3.2bn in 2019, according to official Turkish data.

The government in Ankara hopes that the rapprochement will help restore trade to previous levels and boost Saudi investments in Turkey.

A warming of relations with the United Arab Emirates last year has already unlocked billions of dollars’ worth of potential business.

The UAE signed a $4.9bn currency swap with Turkey in January, offering Turkey’s beleaguered currency much-needed support. The UAE has outlined plans for a $10bn fund to support investments as it seeks to at least double bilateral trade.

Erdoğan last visited Saudi Arabia in July 2017 as he attempted to resolve the blockade on Qatar imposed the previous month.

In February he received a fanfare welcome in the UAE as Dubai’s Burj Khalifa was lit up with the Turkish flag and Turkey‘s national anthem blared out.

NEWS AGENCIES | FILE PHOTO

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