Dr Khairy Omar
Professor, political scientist, Egypt
In current regional developments, The Turkish-Egyptian relations are going to build a strategic path for common interests. Along the past months, bilateral relations have witnessed a clear progress in making up the features of political discourse on bilateral and regional security. Analyzing the trends of the two countries helps for understanding the prospects for the common policy towards the regional threat.
According to the press conference between the Foreign Ministers, Abdelatty and Fidan, on August 5, 2024, the map of common interests to stimulate bilateral relations, by raising foreign trade up to $15 billion. Since the lunching consultations in 2021 to resume high-level diplomatic representation, the two countries have been involved in enlarge direct investment and benefiting from the advantages of location and common history. The political discourse seemed friendly and more understanding to the importance of network of interests.
The press conference reflects the convergence of situations towards new Turkish’s policy on Syria which aims to enforce the relation the based government versus a lot of militias. The two states took a common situation towards Syria and Somalia, this can be seen as a response to similarity of challenges, and support the two countries’ aspirations for unity and sovereignty over their territories. In this context, the convergence of Türkiye’s and Egypt’s policies towards Libya represents an indication of a common understanding of regional security needs. According to the historical background and current reality, the two countries had an awareness of the responsibility for security, stability, peace, and ensuring prosperity. This path is based on strengthening political relations to coordinate policies towards regional security problems in Gaza and prevent the collapse of the West Bank, Libya, Sudan and Yemen, so that it leads to reducing the conflict and takes a common policy on Africa.
According to the war in Gaza, the two countries called for a ceasefire and pushed Israel to implement two sate solution. For Türkiye’s part, it has adopted rhetoric and positions that take a common regional action, and it was also one of the actors in the Islamic Summit (Riadh, 2023), later, Türkiye took a solidarity’s resolution beside South Africa in the International Court of Justice. Egypt and Türkiye follow the diplomatic pressure through mediation to support the Palestinian part, as well as, cut off trade exchange between Türkiye and Israel as a result of a joint reading of pressure on the Netanyahu government and confirmation of regional understanding. Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Al-Arish and the Rafah reveals solidarity with the Egyptian position in proving that Israel is the reason for the suffering of the Palestinians by continuing the war and imposing the siege.
As for Egyptian policy, since the beginning of the Israeli aggression, it has built its positions as a direct part of conflict, due to the close connection with the Palestinian issue, especially with confronting the Israeli-Western insistence on displacing the population of Gaza Strip to Sinai. According this point, Egypt adopted its position on two sides: National security’s under the context of peace treaty to keep parity with Israel and prevent its violates.
With the possibility of the Israelis launching the war against Lebanon, the two countries began to take escalatory measures, enabling deterrence or prepare to engage in war if Israil lunch attack on Lebanon. At the Turkish part, President Erdogan and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense pay attention for national security standards which view the Israil’s actions in near area as massive threat, especially in Palestinian territories, and Gaza Strip.
However, both countries face similar threats affecting their internal situation. On the Turkish border, Kurdish Secessionist organizations, and armed groups which working to disrupt security in northern Syria. This situation is a chronic headache, active in parallel with the Gaza war and the militarization of the Mediterranean in anticipation of preparations for the war on Lebanon. As for the Egyptian level, it is clear that it faces threats from all borders.
The previous policies of Türkiye and Egypt reflect a similar realizing to the threat and chaos in the Middle East, so they adopt more sufficient flexible policies to build a common security situation. In this context, Syria must be one of the actors in the region. Just as Egypt participated in Syria’s return to the Arab League, Türkiye is moving towards enhancing the state’s strength and unity, which dissolves the previous differences between the two countries.
Finally, despite the lack of media coverage on Turkish-Egyptian relation and meetings, the out ome of last three years point a clear improvement in bilateral and the regional policies. The press conference of the two ministers was more clarity in the arrangements for the following steps and the wide opportunity that they play a locomotive role in regional security politics.
