Turkey & Qatar Foul-Weather Friends! by İbrahim SÜNNETCİ The Republic of Turkey has constantly sought out good relations with the Arab world and has paid great attention to not intervening in Arab affairs. However, this reservist attitude toward the Arab world started to change in the 1980s during which time Turkey had started to consider the Arab world as a lucrative market for Turkish made products and foreign capital under the then Prime Minister of Turgut ÖZAL’s leadership. Turkey’s relations with the Arab world gained significant During the first decade GCC with the signing been elected President of momentum when of the 2000s, as an of a Memorandum of Egypt. While Saudi Arabia, the Justice and active partner of the Arab Understanding (MoU) and the UAE, asserted that states, Turkey developed establishing a Strategic the Muslim Brotherhood Development Party economic, political and Dialogue Mechanism was a recruiting vehicle (AKP) came to defense related relations between Turkey and the for Sunni terrorist groups power in Ankara in with the Gulf Cooperation GCC in Jeddah, Saudi in the region, Turkey and November 2002. Council (GCC/an alliance of Arabia. With this MoU Qatar claimed that it was a The AKP has viewed six Gulf monarchies; Saudi Turkey became the first moderate political Islamist the Arabs as natural Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, non-Gulf state able to movement that could allies. Believing that United Arab Emirates, attain the status of GCC’s foster regional stability stronger ties between Bahrain, and Oman that strategic partner. Trade through participation in Turkey and the Arab had signed a defense pact volume between Turkey the legitimate political world could solve to consider an attack on and the GCC have grown process, so they provided most of the problems one of them as an attack from US$$1.5 Billion in region-wide support to in the region, Recep on all). Turkey’s institutional 1999 to US$16 Billion in the Muslim Brotherhood. Tayyip ERDOĞAN, relations with the GCC 2014. Turkish Government Turkey also insisted Turkey’s President commenced with the has previously declared a that MORSI should be and the Chairman “Framework Agreement target of US$100 Billion returned to power. So as a of the ruling Justice for Economic Cooperation trade with GCC countries result of differences over and Development between Turkey and the by 2023. the Muslim Brotherhood Party, have made Cooperation Council for issue and the new military However, Turkey’s relations tremendous efforts the Arab States of the Gulf government of Egypt, with the GCC began to during last 18 years to (GCC)” signed on May 30, Turkey’s relations with 2005 in Manama, Bahrain. deteriorate rapidly soon the GCC was strained and improve and expand after the July 2013 military both economic and Thanks to the high level of tensions led the to the economic and political coup in Egypt against creation of Saudis-Emiratis political relations Mohamed MORSI, the between Turkey and relations on September and Turkish-Qataris blocks. 2, 2008 Turkey became leader of the Muslim the Arab world. a strategic partner of the Brotherhood who had Due to political dispute 34 over the Muslim which time Turkey stood Turkey inside Qatar, and between Turkey and Qatar Brotherhood and other firmly with the State of paying reparations for its witnessed substantial issues the differences Qatar. actions. development in the 21st between Saudis-Emiratis century. In line with Turkey’s and Turkish-Qataris The differences between However, the State of Qatar deepening relations with blocks widened and Qatar and other member refused to meet these Qatar, Turkey has become by accusing Qatar of states of the GCC erupted demands and agreed an important destination supporting “terrorism”, again following the May with Turkey to increase for Qatari tourists. The Saudi Arabia, the UAE, 20-22, 2017, visit of US the size of the Turkish volume of Qatari capital and Bahrain withdrew President Donald TRUMP military contingent in the investments in Turkey their ambassadors from to Saudi Arabia, during country and to expand the increasing steadily during Doha in March 2014. In which he expressed Qatar-Turkey Combined last two decades. In the November 2014, the UAE, substantial support for Joint Force Command in 2000s, the total trade Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia Saudi leaders. And on June Doha with naval and aerial volume between the made the decision to 5, 2017 the Gulf Crisis broke components. On June 7, two countries was just return their ambassadors out when a handful of Arab 2017 the Turkish Parliament US$38 Million. By 2014, to Doha, Qatar after an states led by Saudi Arabia (TBMM) ratified two deals this figure had increased agreement was reached (the de facto leader of the on deploying troops in to US$739 Million and to resolve an 8 month- GCC) abruptly severed Qatar and training its by the end of 2018, trade long dispute between the diplomatic relations with gendarmerie forces. As volume between the two GCC states. In response to the State of Qatar, expelled part of the expansion plan countries increased by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the Qatar’s diplomats, recalled construction of a new base 57%, compared to 2017, UAE and Egypt’s threats, their ambassadors, and near the Tariq Bin Ziyad and reached a level of Qatar chose Turkey as imposed a blockade on military barracks was US$1.4 Billion. According an ally and allowed the the country, despite Qatar launched and completed to Qatar Minister of country to open a military being a fellow member of in August 2019. Turkey also Commerce and Industry base in its territories. On the GCC. It is clear that the increased food exports to Ali Bin Ahmed Al-KUWARI, December 19, 2014, the two Gulf Crisis revealed the Qatar to replace those the level of trade exchange countries inked a military fragility of the GCC and previously provided by between the two countries, cooperation agreement created a negative impact Saudi Arabia. Qatar, as which doubled by 78.8% to that allows the deployment on existing diplomatic, a small peninsular Gulf reach about QR 8.7 Billion of the Turkish Armed Forces economic and military state, has struggled to in 2018, compared to QR (TAF) in the State of Qatar. relations between Turkey maintain food supplies 4.8 Billion in 2017, while The agreement was ratified and the GCC. because of the imposed Qatari exports to Turkey by the Turkish Parliament embargo on the country. recorded growth of about The Gulf Crisis also shed (TBMM) on March 19, 2015 According to reports 99% between 2017 and light on the emerging and the first group of soon after the imposition 2018, and Qatari imports defense relations between Turkish troops arrived in of the blockade, Turkey from Turkey grew by about Turkey and Qatar and the capital city of Doha on dispatched airlift (on June 64.9% during the same proved to Qatar how October 4, 2015. As a result 22, 2017 the then Economy period. Qatar ranks first valuable its relationship of these developments Minister Nihat ZEYBEKÇİ among the Gulf countries with Turkey was. Turkey and diplomatic tensions disclosed that 105 cargo in terms of the number of helped its ally to cope with Turkey’s economic ties planes from Turkey carried projects undertaken by the Saudi-led blockade with GCC countries have aid to Qatar) and naval Turkish contractors. and prevented a military suffered a setback. expeditions and supplied escalation of the crisis, as Doha with approximately Speaking to media in Impact of the both Riyadh and the UAE thousands of tons of food January 2020 Deputy Gulf Crisis and reportedly had plans to supplies. The sea route had Minister of Foreign invade Qatar. On June 22, been opened because air Affairs of Turkey, Yavuz Turkey-Qatar 2017, the Saudi-led group Relations transport was insufficient Selim KIRAN disclosed presented Qatar with to meet the needs of the that standing at US$6.4 13 demands, including Though the history of population of the State of Billion Qatar’s foreign severing relations with bilateral relations between Qatar. direct investment in the Muslim Brotherhood, the State of Qatar and Turkey between 2005 and scaling back relations with Turkey-Qatar the Republic of Turkey go 2019 represents the 1.2% Iran, closure of Turkey’s back 1972, it is a fact that Economic and of Turkey’s cumulative permanent military base their relations have gained Trade Relations foreign direct investment. in Qatar, termination of significant momentum Deputy Minister KIRAN also military cooperation with Economic relations after the Gulf Crisis, during stressed that as of 2019 35 there were 170 companies with Qatar capital operating in Turkey. “Qatar is the 7th country where Turkish Contracting Industry companies undertake the most projects abroad. The total value of projects undertaken by Turkish companies in Qatar has reached US$18.3 Billion (many of them related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament). With the project price of US$1.2 Billion received in 2019, 8.11% increase) in 2018. The Since then the Committee industry, technology, and Qatar became the 2nd volume of Turkey’s exports has convened five times standardization to boost country with the highest to Qatar was US$15 Million – in December 2015, bilateral relations. number of jobs after Russia, in 2002. December 2016, November with a share of 6.6%. Qatar 2017, November 2018, Under an agreement expects to see many more Military and November 2019 signed on December 19, Turkish companies setting Cooperation sometimes in Qatar and 2014 Turkey set up its up production facilities in sometimes in Turkey – to first permanent military Doha.