DM Monitoring
Ankara: The resolution of the Gulf row could contribute to Turkey mending fences with other Arab states and ease regional tensions. An end to the bitter rift that saw Qatar boycotted by its Gulf Arab neighbors for 3 1/2 years was declared and signed, opening a new page in Middle East relations.
“Turkey would be one of the most benefitted countries in the region from the reconciliation. Better Saudi-Qatari relations also means a better Saudi-Turkish relation,” Ali Bakir of Qatar University’s Ibn Khaldon Center told Daily Sabah, saying that the recently announced detente would help bridge the gap between Turkey and other Gulf Arab states.
Highlighting that differences in other issues would prevail, Bakir stated that the reconciliation “would help the Saudi-led block to communicate with Turkey in a constructive manner.”
On the other hand, Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University, told Daily Sabah that the settlement between Qatar and other Gulf states would not impact Ankara and Doha’s associations.
“Relations developed in the context of a strong alliance. Therefore, I think it will remain like this and maybe even develop further. Turkey has not developed its relations from crises between countries, but its foreign policy was developed based on strengthening relations with neighboring countries.
So, having good ties with all Arab states is beneficial for Turkey,” Zweiri stated, underlining that Turkey itself would be happy to see greater unity in the region, which would benefit it in terms of economy and investment.
Pointing out that Turkey adopted a positive approach toward the resolution of the Gulf crisis and engaged previously in efforts to ease regional tensions, Mustafa Yetim, a Gulf studies expert at the Ankara-based think tank, Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM), said that Turkey prefers the development of comprehensive relations with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries despite the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) current hostile policies toward Turkey over regional affairs.
Qatar’s only land border has been mostly closed since June 2017 when Saudi Arabia, non-Gulf Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain launched a boycott and severed diplomatic, trade and travel links with the small but influential Persian Gulf country.
They accused it of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs, allegations that Doha denied.
The four nations had set 13 conditions to end the boycott on Doha, including closing Al-Jazeera TV, shuttering a Turkish military base and downgrading ties with Iran. Qatar rejected the demands.
