Highest Level Diplomatic Talks Between Turkey and Egypt in Eight Years

Dr. Doga Ozturk

Further diplomatic steps to mend the strained relationship between Turkey and Egypt were taken last week as a Turkish delegation flew to Cairo to hold “exploratory” talks with their counterparts on 5-6 May 2021. The talks represented the highest-level diplomatic contact between the two countries in the past eight years. Ties between Turkey and Egypt were almost non-existent since 2013 when General Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi staged a coup that toppled the democratically elected Egyptian government led by Muhammad Morsi, who was a close ally of the Turkish President [Prime Minister at the time], Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Starting from August 2020, however, tentative measures were taken to normalize the relationships between these two heavyweights of the region.

The Turkish delegation that flew to Cairo was led by the Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal, whereas Önal’s counterpart in the talks was the Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Loza. The joint statement released after the two-day talks indicated that that the delegations had “frank” and “in-depth” discussions about a number of bilateral and regional issues, including the situation in Libya, Syria, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Both parties were aware, however, that the process of normalization between the two countries would be long and arduous and that the talks they held on 5-6 May just represented the first steps in this difficult journey.

It is important to note that after having almost no contact with Egypt for the past eight years and having a very strict and negative, almost insulting, attitude towards the Sisi regime (Erdoğan has repeatedly called Sisi a “dictator”), the Erdoğan government lately seems to assume a much more conciliatory tone towards Cairo. One of the most important reasons for this eagerness to improve relationships with Egypt is the diplomatically isolated position that Turkey finds itself in the international arena. Experts point out that the steps taken by Turkey towards Egypt should be read within the context of Turkey’s efforts to improve its relationships with a number of international and regional players, including the United States (especially after Biden was elected President), the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. The diplomatic isolation that the Erdoğan government finds itself in proved to be extremely damaging for Turkey’s already fragile economy. Moreover, as Şafak Göktürk, former ambassador to Egypt between 2005 and 2009, argues, Turkey’s non-existent relationship with Egypt also led Turkey to become isolated in the Eastern Mediterranean, a region in which Turkey has major economic and geopolitical interests. Similarly, Fehim Taştekin, a journalist working in the Middle East, states that normalization with Egypt is important for Turkey because Egypt is a key player in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean. For Egypt, on the other hand, better relations with Turkey would mean a decrease in national security concerns, especially coming from Libya, and a boost for the Egyptian economy, mostly as a result of an increase in bilateral trade and in Egyptian exports of natural gas to Europe.

As already pointed out, however, normalizing the relationship between the two countries will not be easy. Two issues stand out as the most important roadblocks. The first is the situation in Libya. Turkey and Egypt are on the opposite sides of the Libyan conflict, with Turkey backing the Government of National Accord, recognized also by the United Nations, whereas Egypt is supporting the Libyan National Army, led by Khalifa Haftar. Moreover, Turkey has a considerable military presence in Libya while also allegedly backing foreign mercenary fighters that are taking an active part in the Libyan conflict. As a pre-condition for any further normalization between the two countries, Egyptian authorities strongly demand Turkey end its military presence in Libya, Egypt’s western neighbor, while they also emphasize the need for all the foreign fighters to leave Libyan territory. At this point, however, it does not look very likely that Turkey will readily accept these demands coming from Egypt. On May 3, for instance, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar paid an official visit to Libya, underlining Turkey’s commitments to their Libyan allies. The timing of this visit, coming just two days before the Turkish delegation flew to Cairo, can be read as an indication that even though Turkey is in a difficult position internationally, it would not accept Egyptian demands without a fight.

The second major issue in the normalization process between Turkey and Egypt is Turkey’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood. As is well-known, the Sisi regime designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization after the coup in 2013. As a result, a number of Muslim Brotherhood members found a safe haven in Turkey, from where they continued their opposition to the Sisi regime, especially through TV channels that they had established. Egyptian sources indicate that the Egyptian government is considering two options regarding Turkey’s backing of the Brotherhood. The first one is to demand the extradition of all the Muslim Brotherhood members who had been tried and convicted in Egypt as well as shutting down all the broadcasting situations affiliated with the Brotherhood. The second one, not as harsh, requires Turkey to extradite a few key Muslim Brotherhood members as well as to cooperate with Egyptian authorities in containing Brotherhood activity in Turkey and Libya, where the Muslim Brotherhood also has an effective presence. The Turkish government, on the other hand, had already been taking steps lately to control the Muslim Brotherhood activity in Turkey as it was reported that Turkish authorities ordered the Brotherhood-affiliated channels to tone down their rhetoric against the Sisi regime, although it is not certain what the Turkish government will do regarding the extradition of Muslim Brotherhood members to Egypt.

Turkey’s efforts to normalize its relationship with Egypt should be seen within the context of regional dynamics. As experts point out, Turkey’s rapprochement with Egypt would also pave the way for Turkey to improve its relations with other Middle Eastern powers, including Israel and the Gulf countries. In this sense, reestablishing diplomatic ties between Turkey and Egypt would have further repercussions for the whole region.