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Is there a common understanding – agreement between Turkey and Egypt on Libya? That was the question posed by fellow journalist Taha Al-Essawi to Yasin Aktay, senior adviser to the Turkish president, and to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan’s adviser reveals warm relations with Egypt that go beyond Libya, according to a post on middleeastmonitor.com
It is worth noting that during his interview with Arabi21, Aktay made a distinction between the position of President Erdogan and the position of the Turkish state and its institutions. The truth is that this conversation is not new, since according to the information, this approach has been on the table since the end of 2014.
However, Yasin Aktay’s statements were widely reported in the Western media, citing earlier statements by the Turkish president about discussions between his country’s and Egypt’s intelligence services as a means of confirming the position of the Turkish administration.
The goal behind this, on record, is, among other things, to calm what France wants to ignite in the Middle East, where Libya is at its heart, before escalating again with the Greek front. There also appears to be an opportunity to end the crisis at NATO’s Brussels home, even with Turkey or Greece maneuvering with France while Erdogan appears to be backing down.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry commented on Aktay’s interview and whether the Egyptian government has conditions for a turn of the page with Turkey. According to the report, Shoukry said that the government he represents is monitoring actions, not conversations and statements, and that if the statements are not in line with policy, then they don’t matter. Thus, and with good reason, Egyptian diplomacy has achieved a goal in the face of statements by the Turkish media that demand more attention.
However, as noted, the words of the adviser and leader of the ruling party in Turkey can be read as an attempt to attract the Egyptian regime and remove it from the Emirati-French axis, at least in Libya and then with the passage of time on the subject of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The pressures facing the two countries are too great and complex to be able to engage in a conflict in which both parties will be defeated in a long battle of friction that will cause the entire world to suffer an overwhelming economic crisis. At home, both countries must move away from what could weaken their positions on the crisis that awaits them in light of the new wave of the coronavirus and the recession that accompanies it.
For Turkey, a long-distance conflict (geographically) means more damage and it is better to save energy for political and military maneuvers with its historical enemies. Even with this stance, Turkey is trying to create a careful calm so as not to lose its Western allies. Turkey’s decision to withdraw its energy exploration ship in the eastern Mediterranean is a sign of a reduction in tensions with Greece, which means that Turkey does not want to fall into the trap set by France and the United States, which benefits the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
The question remains: Can Turkey’s rapprochement with the Egyptian government lead to full reconciliation and normalization?
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
