The visit of Mohammed Ben Zayed to Turkey, the reasons and indications
The Turkish regime realized that changing its foreign policies and blatant interference in many Arab countries had brought it into a dark tunnel, full of crises that are now afflicting the country from all sides, especially on the economic front. In light of international political changes, especially with the arrival of the new U.S. administration, which adopts hardline positions towards the regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara turned to change its approach in an attempt to fill the scattered cards in its relations with the East.
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This strategic change in Turkish foreign policy was evident in the barrage of statements made by Ankara on its desire to open a new page with the Arabs, to bridge the differences and put an end to the tension with Egypt. Attempts were also made to break the deadlock in relations with both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as Turkey sought to invest in Gulf reconciliation at the Arab League summit held in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
Political experts say that the UAE, represented by Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed Al Nahyane, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, along with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, was able to lead and guide Arab policy in the face of foreign interference. This contributed to increasing pressure on Turkey to change its escalatory policies, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to announce its desire to open channels of communication with Arab countries to reconcile views.
Emirati-Turkish rapprochement
“Abou Dabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed al-Nahyane will visit Turkey, possibly on November 24, for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish media said, in the first visit in nearly a decade”.
Erdogan and Sheikh Mohammed will discuss bilateral relations, trade, regional developments and investments, Reuters quoted a Turkish official as saying.
Another official told the same agency that the visit is an important development to improve regional relations and reduce tension, noting that the deadline has not yet been set.
“The visit comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed last August, and two weeks after the call, Erdogan received in Ankara a UAE delegation headed by Sheik Tahnoun ben Zayed Al Nahyane, the UAE’s national security advisor”.
In statements following the meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the UAE is a pivotal party in the region, pointing to the upcoming meeting of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed, pointing to important discussions on UAE investments in Turkey, noting that the UAE has very serious investment plans, and expressed his hope that the UAE will launch serious investments in Turkey.
Regarding bilateral relations between the two countries, Erdogan said that there is a fluctuation in relations between the two countries, and this has already happened, a few months ago Turkish intelligence held meetings with Abu Dhabi, and these meetings have reached a certain stage. In the coming period we may hold meetings with Sheik Mohammed ben Zayed, and after today’s meeting we hope to meet, because we care about the pivotal parties in the region to talk together and solve their problems. This is very important to me.
According to the official Emirates News Agency (WAM), the two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the UAE and Turkey, especially economic and trade cooperation, and investment opportunities in the fields of: transport, health, and energy, in the common interest of both countries.
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At a press conference held on Monday from the General Party headquarters in Ankara, where he answered questions asked about a number of developments in the country, Omar Celik, spokesman of the ruling party in Turkey, praised the dialog between his country and the United Arab Emirates to solve thorny issues, stressing that his country has comprehensive plans and a sincere approach regarding the problems that Turkey is experiencing with some Gulf countries.
Regarding normalization of relations with the UAE, he said: Negative files will be closed, positive files will multiply, every country will win, and dialog, meetings, and negotiations on various issues will continue strongly.
