Geopolitics in the Middle East: Enemy’s enemy is an ally or another enemy? (11)

*You can read full text:

http://ocininitiative.maeda1.jp/202010AllyOrEnemyInMeEnglish.pdf

3. Turkey；Mastermind of troubles(cont’d)

 

(5) Turkey as a stakeholder

In addition to the above case in which Turkey is involved as rivalry, Turkey sometimes plays as a stakeholder. The Qatar issue and the Libyan Civil War are such case.

 

The Qatar issue means that four countries consisting of three GCC states (Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain) and Egypt severed the diplomatic tie with Qatar in 2017. Four countries condemned that Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamic terrorist organization while Qatar accepted the same entity. Other two GCC states, Oman and Kuwait, took a neutral position. Qatar was isolated among GCC countries. Turkey extended its support to Qatar. As a result, Turkey's relations with four countries have deteriorated.

 

The reason of conflict is in the difference of political control system. Egypt's military regime was once defeated by Muslim Brotherhood in the "Arab Spring" and regained control by military coup d'etat a year later. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain are secular states with absolute monarchy. Egypt and the Gulf monarchies are vigilant against the Islamic Brotherhood, which threatens their regime. On the other hand, Turkey is a secular democratic state with a direct election of the president. Turkish ruling party, AKAP, has a strong affinity with Islamic Brotherhood. So Turkey supports Qatar, which is a monarchy but is tolerant of the Islamic Brotherhood.

 

Turkey's involvement in the Civil War in Libya is motivated by the EEZ agreement on the continental shelf of eastern Mediterranean. Turkey supports the caretaker government in Tripoli. Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France and Russia support the Libyan National Army (LNA) based in Benghazi. LNA is a counterpart of caretaker government. Libyan Civil War is, therefore, a proxy war between Turkey and Egypt.

 

Turkey changes its position depend on the issue. Generally speaking, Turkey's main adversaries are Saudi Arabia and Egypt in Middle East and the EU outside the region. United States or Russia is Turkey's ally or enemy on a case-by-case. Sometime two super powers participate in the game or stay in neutrality.

 

(End)

 

By Areha Kazuya

E-mail: Arehakazuya1@gmail.com