As It Sides with Qatar, Turkey Tries to Pre-Empt Own Isolation

Roufan Nahhas, Rashmee Roshan Lall, Iman Zayat, Gareth Smyth, Jareer Elass, Stephen Quillen, Mamoon Alabbasi , Yavuz Baydar, Rami Rayess Issue 111, Year 3 www.thearabweekly.com UK £2/ EU €2.50 June 18, 2017 The Middle Saif al-Islam’s East’s smoking release and the problem future of Libya P4 P22 P10 Facing radical Islam P18 As it sides with Qatar, Turkey tries to pre-empt own isolation Mohammed Alkhereiji Saud — “the elder statesman of the 150 additional Turkish troops in Gulf” — should resolve the matter. Doha. There was also a pledge by He needed to maintain a margin of members of the Qatari royal family London manoeuvre to keep his meditation for more investments in Turkey. posture and forestall the risk of An- Galip Dalay, research director at Al s it makes statements kara’s own isolation. Sharq Forum, a Turkish research or- that give the impression Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut ganisation, told the New York Times of a position of mediation Cavusoglu, who met with King Sal- that Turkey was “transitioning from in the Gulf crisis, Turkey man in Mecca on June 16, spoke in neutral mediator to the role of firm- is working to make sure it similarly vague terms. ly supporting the side of Qatar” by isA not the next Muslim Brotherhood- “Although the kingdom is a party voting to send troops to Qatar. affiliated country to face regional in this crisis, we know that King Sal- The Turkish position was in line isolation. man is a party in resolving it,” Cavu- with Ankara’s common affinities A lot has happened since 2015 soglu said at a Doha stopover prior with Doha as another country fac- when Turkish President Recep to his Mecca meeting. “We want ing increased isolation because of Tayyip Erdogan visited Riyadh to to hear the views of Saudi Arabia its Muslim Brotherhood alliances show support for the Sunni bloc regarding possible solutions and and Islamist policies in the region. represented by the Saudi-led coali- will share with them our views in a Analysts said the shift is reflective tion against terrorism. In fact, until transparent way… We pay a great at- of an apprehension that Turkey last February, during another visit tention to our relations with them.” would eventually face the same fate to Saudi Arabia, the Turkish leader as Doha. was sticking to Sunni solidarity and Turkey is likely to recognise the expressing wariness about “Persian Turkey fears being looming risk as it sees its influence nationalism.” in the region ebbing and notes in- However, since the Qatar crisis the next Muslim dications that political Islam in the erupted June 5, Ankara has been co- Brotherhood- region is facing strong headwind. ordinating with Tehran and Erdogan “Should Qatar be taken out of the distanced himself from Saudi Arabia affiliated country picture when it comes to regional and the Sunni bloc. to face trouble. matters, [that] could isolate Turkey Iranian Foreign Minister Moham- and perhaps this is why Turkey does mad Javad Zarif was received by Er- not want to lose Qatar,” Turkish aca- dogan when he travelled to Turkey Ankara’s alignment with Qatar, demic Serhat Erkmen told Deutsche on June 7. Ankara said the visit al- however, has been clear from the Welle. lowed an “exchange of views, first start of the crisis. Erdogan rejected Erdogan’s rhetoric “will not alter Syria and bilateral relations.” It was allegations that Doha financed ter- the balance of power in the Gulf,” obvious, however, that Qatar was rorist groups. “They [countries iso- diplomats said. It can, however, give on the minds of Iranian and Turkish lating Qatar] declare foundations the Turkish president the impres- leaders. established to provide different sion of being shielded from pres- Erdogan has strongly shown his services as terror organisations,” sures that could threaten his pro- support for Qatar, calling Doha’s Erdogan said June 9. “Something Brotherhood policies and Turkey’s growing isolation “inhumane” like this should not happen. I know stability. and comparing the restrictions to those foundations. Until today I a “death sentence.” The Turkish have not witnessed Qatar give sup- Mohammed Alkhereiji is the Gulf leader refrained, however, from port to terror.” section editor of The Arab Weekly. Common risks ahead. Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad criticising Saudi Arabia, saying Further siding with Doha, the al-Thani (R) stands with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Turkish parliament voted to deploy P12-13 in Doha, last February. (AP) Doha’s miscalculations at the core of Gulf crisis Viewpoint he crisis pitting Qatar rati islands since 1971. the 2013 coup against the Muslim end of 2015. The true significance against Saudi-led Gulf Under the reign of Qatari Emir Brotherhood and Muhammad Morsi Qatar did of this deal is not clear but it is countries and Egypt is Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in Egypt. The second was when obvious that it makes it possible the result of Doha’s Doha has failed to provide ap- Operation Decisive Storm began in a lot to for Iranian sectarian militias and miscalculations and propriate rationale for its Iranian Yemen despite American objections. weaken al-Qaeda spin-off organisations to missteps. policy. In the face of Iran’s obvious The aim was to put an end to Iran’s the Gulf dispose of huge amounts of Qatari TQatar did a lot to weaken the Gulf animosity towards Saudi Arabia and expansionist plan in the region. money. Cooperation Cooperation Council (GCC) by en- the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Qatar was a partner in Operation Qatar’s essential problem is with gaging in an odd competition with Tamim could have used phrases Decisive Storm but only nominally. Council by its Arab environment. Qatar simply Khairallah Saudi Arabia. Even though it did not such as “We’re all in the same boat.” This third Arab initiative came engaging needs to change its behaviour. It always see eye to eye with Tehran, By “all,” he would have meant the within the context of favourable in an odd must cease its fruitless manoeu- Khairallah Qatar’s policy of going against Saudi Gulf states. He didn’t. conditions in the United States but vring. This kind of behaviour Arabia served the interests of Iran, Sheik Tamim inherited from his is definitely not a US-backed initia- competition serves only Turkish and Iranian in- which has sought to undermine father, former Emir Sheikh Hamad tive. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain with Saudi terests. The regime in Iran is always GCC countries. bin Khalifa al-Thani, many prob- and Egypt took a stand against Arabia. on the hunt for any point of entry, Qatar is different from Oman. The lems, among them dwindling oil Qatar that is not necessarily shared especially for possible breaches in sultanate is a special case because revenues and skyrocketing con- by Washington. It was an independ- neighbouring countries and even in it might have had no choice but to struction costs of 2022 World Cup ent Arab stand dictated by common faraway countries, such as Leba- cooperate with Iran, considering facilities. He could not envisage a Gulf interests. non. the countries’ shared borders and particular policy that would show Qatar once could have easily Ending the reign of the Muslim control of the Strait of Hormuz. that he was aware of the dangers of swayed the US government’s stand Brotherhood in Egypt was achieved For the Less understandable is Qatar’s remaining prisoner of his father’s with the lucrative purchase of US- despite US objections. The current third time cooperation with Tehran. policy choices and of the influence made F-15 warplanes but not this boycott of Qatar is not necessarily Qatar’s argument that sharing of the Muslim Brotherhood. He time. The time for paradoxes and and entirely blessed by the US. We in four a major natural gas field with could not get out unscathed from contradictions is over. are probably witnessing a change. years, a Iran makes cooperation with the dilemmas created by his close Qatar may not have had problems The Trump administration does Tehran a necessity is weak. Doha cooperation with Iran in Lebanon dealing with Washington but it has not object to bold initiatives taken Gulf may choose to work with Iran in a and his support for Syrian President been mistaken to think having a US by those who are wise enough to initiative specific sector but not necessarily Bashar Assad just because the latter military base on its soil provides self-reliantly protect their own in everything. After all, Iran has has fallen into Saudi disgrace. sufficient cover for Doha to engage interests. takes the always worked against the inter- For the third time in four years, in all kinds of policies and practices, United ests of the other Gulf countries and a Gulf initiative takes the United including shadowy deals with Iran Khairallah Khairallah is a Lebanese especially those of Saudi Arabia. It States by surprise. The first time and its proxies in Syria under the writer based in London. States by ignited sectarian strife in Bahrain was when Saudi Arabia, the United guise of ransoming a party of Qatari surprise. and has been occupying three Emi- Arab Emirates and Kuwait backed hunters kidnapped in Iraq at the P2-7 2 June 18, 2017 Cover Story Qatar crisis Gulf crisis continues as Doha refuses to address issues of contention Crisis days. A view of the Abu Samra border crossing to Saudi Arabia from Qatar, on June 12. (Reuters) Mohammed Alkhereiji eral Presidency for the Affairs of said: “It is a striking and dangerous fering in its neighbours’ internal af- statement saying the

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