Gleanings of Arabic Press 15-May-2022

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently reiterated the importance of improving Turkish-Saudi relations.

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Turkish-Saudi Rapprochement

Prelude of a New Axis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently reiterated the importance of improving Turkish-Saudi relations.

It is now clear that Ankara and Riyadh want to prepare for the phase which will come after the Western-Iranian nuclear talks in Vienna. The two countries want to avoid any regional surprises which might occur and affect the balances and equations in the region, similar to what happened in 2011 when Washington decided to withdraw from Iraq and open the door for Tehran to expand there at the expense of local and regional players.

The new US administration’s policy on the Middle East is among the reasons which today bring Ankara and Riyadh nearer and closer.

In addition to this, sensitive regional issues related to the repositioning of more than one active country in the region, now requires this Turkish-Saudi coordination so that maps are not drawn at their expense in Syria and Lebanon in particular.

We cannot ignore political and strategic issues which require understanding and coordination on the Libyan and Yemeni front in the framework of a new Arab-Turkish dialogue. These parlays are now noticeable after contacts between the Turks and the Egyptians on the one hand and Turks and the UAE on the other. Qatar is making parallel move to accelerate these arrangements for a joint Arab-Turkish mechanism to deal with these issues.

It is clear today that what Ankara wants to achieve through a new start with Riyadh, along with the conviction of strengthening and activating the Arab-Gulf and Turkish-Arab partnership.

[by Samir Saliha in TRT Arabi]

The Turkish-Gulf relations are rapidly becoming normal, which is more than what was expected, particularly in the case of its relations with the UAE.

The meeting of the Turkish “political tiger” with Saudi money and Emirati openness could result in a bloc or at least a force which would protect the entire region from being lost to the war of big powers, particularly when there is uncertainty at the international level, continuous weakening of Europe and exhaustion of Russia. There are also chances of even an all-out war, if not a third world war.

But there is a question which arises regarding the extent to which Ankara and Riyadh can be biased towards the position of Abu Dhabi, which proudly announces the growth of its relations with the Zionist entity (Israel), and considers it its strategic friend in the region?

There are clear red lines in Turkish policy related to the occupied Palestinian territory. It gives it international credibility and internal and regional strength. Same is the case of Saudi Arabia, because it has the Islamic spiritual status, it has its responsibilities. These are the factors which prevent both countries from rushing towards Israel without guarantees to the Palestinians or any signs of a solution to protect their historical rights. ‎

Who can deny that there are necessities and fears of the three countries, in addition to the economic aspirations and wish for a merger between the petrodollar, the industrial machine and the wheel of export?

[by Adnan Abdul Razzaq in Al Araby Al Jadeed]

Compiled and Translated by Faizul Haque