As relations between Turkey and Egypt thaw, diplomatic relations are increasing

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Turkey and Egypt have appointed ambassadors to each other’s capitals for the first time in a decade as they restore relations damaged by the 2013 military coup that toppled the democratically elected Islamist government in Cairo.

The decision, which follows a deal between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is the latest sign that the former regional foes are trying to mend ties by focusing on their domestic economies.

The joint statement of Turkey and Egypt states that this step is aimed at the re-normalization of relations between the two countries and reflects the mutual will to develop bilateral relations in accordance with the interests of the Turkish and Egyptian peoples.

Diplomatic relations between Ankara and Cairo were severed in 2013 after Erdogan condemned the popularly-backed coup led by Sisi that ousted Mohammed Morsi, the Islamist and the country’s first democratically elected president.

Erdogan, whose rise also stems from Islamist politics, strongly supported Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood. In the intervening years, Turkey has served as a haven for the group’s members as the Sisis regime launched a large-scale crackdown on the Islamist movement and its supporters.

The two countries resumed consultations between their foreign ministries in 2021, and at the end of last year, Erdogan and Sisi shook hands at the soccer World Cup in Qatar. Turkey has made a number of concessions to Egypt, including actions to reduce criticism of the Egyptian government by television stations created by opponents of the Sisi regime.

Egypt and Turkey have maintained strong trade ties despite their diplomatic differences: Egypt was among Turkey’s top 20 export markets last year, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.

The reconciliation with Egypt, which has been gradual over the past two years, is also part of a broader healing of rifts in the region. Support for the Muslim Brotherhood was the main reason for straining relations between Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia on the one hand, and Qatar and Turkey on the other. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar after imposing a regional embargo on the small gas producer in 2017. The ban was lifted in 2021, leading to a thaw in tensions in the region.

Ankara has also tried to improve relations with several other countries in the region in recent years as Erdogan looks to the Gulf for funding as Western investors leave the country’s markets and Turkey falls into a deeper economic crisis.

Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Imek said on Monday that Erdogan will visit the UAE at the end of this month. Vice President Cevdet Ylmaz, who has been trying to quell Turkey’s years-long economic crisis, visited Abu Dhabi in June, hoping to secure new investments from the oil-rich country. Abu Dhabi has already pledged to invest $10 billion in Turkey in 2021, after UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan met Erdogan in Ankara.

Last year, Turkey also tried to ease tensions with Saudi Arabia, which worsened sharply after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018. As part of its efforts towards rapprochement with other regional powers, Ankara restored diplomatic relations with Israel in 2022.