Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has usually mentioned that he needs to reconcile with the Gulf international locations, Egypt and Israel. On Dec 7, Erdogan reiterated that higher relations with Israel would profit the regional peace.
However all these international locations would love Ankara to curb its enthusiasm for the Muslium Brotherhood (MB), a world group with completely different teams and political entities below its broad umbrella. MB has been declared a terrorist group in international locations reminiscent of Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE and Syria. Turkey has change into a hub for exiled MB members after the Arab Spring. And right now as Turkey needs to rebuild relations within the area, its help for MB is a significant problem.
Since 2013, Qatar and Turkey have emerged as primary supporters of MB. Not like Qatar, whose help was principally monetary, Ankara’s relations are multilayered and sophisticated. Reports have emerged that Israel has requested Turkey to shut Hamas workplaces in Istanbul. However a senior bureaucrat, talking on situation of anonymity in Ankara, instructed Al Monitor, “This isn’t even an possibility open for negotiation for us.”
In Turkey, MB has home help and natural development. Erdogan’s pragmatism is well-known, however on MB points during the last twenty years his help has not wavered.
However Turkey’s international coverage choices within the Center East are dwindling. Ankara needs to interrupt its remoted stand. Erdogan’s want for larger home approval compels him to talk extra amicably about completely different Center Jap rivals.
Turkey’s bargaining chips are scarce, and its help for MB might be one of many few that also issues. However though it might be keen to conform to curb actions of sure MB opposition voices, for Ankara it’s too quickly and too dangerous to chop off hyperlinks with MB.
Even when Ankara has the political will to finish its help, what would occur to homegrown MB? The senior bureaucrat commented, “If we shut Hamas’s workplaces and expel members of MB, then what would be the subsequent demand, shut down IHH and others and prosecute them?
MB’s attain is wider than meets the attention. In Could 2010, the Mavi Marmara flotilla was raided by Israeli commandos, and 10 Turkish residents have been killed in a mission to finish the Gaza blockade. That ship was owned by IHH, Humanitarian Relief Organization, a Turkish Islamist NGO lively in over 115 international locations. Israel declared IHH a terrorist organization in 2008 due to IHH’s help for Hamas to fund its army actions. Certainly, IHH was under legal scrutiny within the Nineties, earlier than AKP assumed energy.
AKP has allowed a number of Islamic organizations to function freely, filling in gaps for schooling and for social and financial support each at house and overseas. IHH, as an example, is a drive to be reckoned with for any politician. On the finish of November, 4 younger IHH volunteers lost their lives in a car accident, and their funerals drew condolences for IHH from all political celebration leaders and completely different Islamist NGOs.
On Nov. 29, Turkish Overseas Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted support for Palestine. But Turkey’s help for Palestinians is neither unconditional nor for all Palestinians. Since 2019, Turkey has a $700,000 bounty on Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah chief who fled to UAE. Dahlan is seen as Hamas’ rival in Gaza. Given Turkey’s financial and regional struggles, it might be unrealistic to anticipate an growth of help for Hamas, however Ankara shouldn’t be but able to bid Hamas goodbye.
Erdogan’s latest conferences with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, crown prince of UAE, give the phantasm of Turkey’s willingness to realign its insurance policies within the area. Nevertheless, a senior Turkish diplomat who spoke on situation of anonymity mentioned, “Turkey’s ‘good relations’ with any Center Jap nation is sort of a sandcastle on the seashore. Solely a matter of time for the following wave to knock it over.” He added that “Qatar’s dependency on Turkey is diminishing quick as they return into the GCC fold. Now, individuals ought to be conscious all Turkey is left with is MB, due to this fact, I anticipate a stronger embrace, possibly much less seen, much less audible however undoubtedly MB is the perfect device and ally Turkey has proper now.”
