Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has called on Turkish officials to take steps to normalize Turkish-Egypt relations, saying that it is inevitable that relations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will improve.
Sheikh Tamim conveyed his message to Turkish officials during his visit to Turkey last week, according to diplomatic sources.
Previously, Qatar and Turkey had both criticized Egypt’s former military head and current President Sisi. But the Qatari emir’s office released a statement on Dec. 21 announcing its intention to normalize ties with Sisi, adding that Egypt’s security is important for the security of Qatar and that the two countries are linked by deep and fraternal ties.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry had attempted to mend ties with Egypt over the past year but every attempt was undermined by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s highly critical remarks about Sisi, Today’s Zaman wrote.
Deputy Prime Minister Blent Arınç on Monday expressed that Turkey needs to mend its ties with Egypt, but it should be Egypt that first breaks the deadlock.
Arınç’s remarks came on Monday during an interview with TV channel Al Jazeera Türk.
Erdogan has regularly spoken critically of Egypt’s leader, saying that he came to power through a military coup and has no legitimacy. Erdogan is known to be a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, a political group that was ousted from power by Sisi and is now considered a terrorist organization by Egyptian authorities.
A Qatari envoy on Dec. 20 met with Sisi in Cairo, one day before Qatar’s statement signaling normalization with Egypt.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also warned Erdogan in July that Turkey cannot contribute to peace in the Middle East without mending relations with Egypt, a key actor in the region.
