Erdoğan visits the Emirates a decade later to reinforce his position in the Gulf
Ambiguity has dominated Turkish-Emirati relations over the past decade. The bitter rivalry that emerged after the Arab Spring, a scenario in which Ankara promoted the Muslim Brotherhood and where Abu Dhabi strove to contain Islamism in the region, seems to have been transformed into a definitive truce after the first episode of rapprochement in 2016. A détente that promises to last for a long time and from which their political and commercial ties will be strengthened.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday for the first time in almost a decade for a two-day visit to the country. The trip comes amid Ankara's attempts to relaunch its relations with the Gulf states, a roadmap that has seen Turkey strengthen its relations with Saudi Arabia, and which now involves forging a new strategic partnership with the Emirates.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, welcomed the Turkish leader with a protocol ceremony in which the words 'hoş geldiniz', Turkish for 'welcome', were projected onto the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. A warm welcome that reflects the 'momentum' in which this meeting has taken place. For the UAE, it means entering a new phase, as Emirati advisor Anwar Qarqash said: "President Erdoğan's visit to Abu Dhabi is part of the commitment to peace, security and development to ensure a prosperous future.
For Turkey it is a relief. The country's pressing domestic crisis, with runaway inflation and a steep fall in the lira, has forced Ankara to design a new, stable foreign strategy in the short term that will make it forget the isolation to which it was subjected by the Gulf states after backing Qatar during the regional crisis, and also by its Western partners due to the ongoing disagreements in the eastern Mediterranean, among other factors.
This would leave behind the prolonged period of confrontation in Libya, Syria and the Horn of Africa. A decade in which they have experienced crisis after crisis, but in which there have also been moments of détente. The most recent was in 2016, when the UAE and its partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) declared the Gülen Movement, led by the cleric who allegedly instigated the coup attempt in Turkey, to be a 'terrorist organisation'.
Erdoğan last travelled to the UAE in February 2013, a few months before the coup in Egypt that brought General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to power and further strained relations, while Mohammed bin Zayed visited the Eurasian country in November for the first time in 10 years. The visit ended the diplomatic impasse and resulted in a $10 billion Emirati investment deal in Turkey.
The Emirates' injection gave oxygen to Turkey's ailing economy, so Erdoğan has now sought to expand investment to mitigate the crisis. Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reports that the president has reached 13 new trade agreements with the UAE to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the areas of energy, transport, health, defence and even media. These agreements facilitate the thaw in relations between the two countries.
Mohamed bin Zayed and Erdoğan signed their signatures at the end of negotiations between the Turkish and Emirati delegations. Prior to the signing, the Islamist leader discussed with the 'de facto' ruler of the Emirates their diplomatic ties, which have found common ground in recent months. Erdoğan himself acknowledged that 'Turkey and the UAE can contribute together to regional peace, stability and prosperity' in an opinion column published in the Emirati daily Khaleej Times.
For Turkey, the UAE represents the third largest export market in Asia and its fourth largest import partner. A volume of transactions that has increased in the last year and promises to do so in the coming months, as their agendas seem to be converging 10 years later. Moreover, their cultural ties are also going through a good moment with Erdoğan's visit this Tuesday to the Dubai Expo 2020, where the Turkish national will be held.