Erdogan's visit to Qatar .. No financial deals to save him, disappointment with Saudi Arabia

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's fresh visit to Qatar did not witness the announcement of considerable deals or any indication that Doha will increase its financial aid, at a time when Turkey is facing the largest economic crisis in its history that has almost collapsed.

 According to the statement issued by the Qatar News Agency, Erdogan and Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad signed several agreements in areas ranging from media to disaster management, pledging to "explore more ways" to underpin economic ties and financial coordination.

 A joint statement said Qatar had agreed to extend a currency swap agreement with Turkey, which Doha tripled to $15 billion last year.  The agreement aims to strengthen Turkey's foreign reserves and stabilize the lira.  The statement did not refer to an increase in the amount of direct financial assistance, according to Reuters.

 Before leaving Doha, Erdogan visited the Turkish soldiers at the military base, and said in a speech, "We do not separate the security and stability of Qatar from our security and stability."

 A purely economic visit

On the objectives of this visit, Tariq Wehbe, a researcher in international relations, said: "The principl goal of the visit is purely economic, and its basis is to raise the proportion of Qatari investments in Turkey, especially in real estate projects and medium and large industries, in which Turkey is famous as a reservoir for spare parts in the automotive sector for Europe."

 He added, "This programmed visit also comes after the visit of the Emirati National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed to Turkey and the return of Qatar after its isolation from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries."

 On the link between this and the Turkish economic crisis, Wehbe said: "It is unclassified to anyone that the decline of the Turkish lira against international currencies is a major problem for the Turkish economy, which depends on the introduction of the dollar through its trade balance, which is still positive despite some European sanctions. This visit comes to float a part  of the Turkish economy.

He explained that "Qatar is seeks to own a large number of tourist establishments, such as hotels or furnished apartments. It also has ambitions for some food industries, which are successful, profitable and eligible for development."

 Wehbe stressed, in this context, that "Turkey was asking for money as facilitated loans for its development sector, specifically transportation, but Qatar preferred to wait until it has better indicators in terms of returning these loans in the future, but stressed that it is ready to invest in the private sector, which has grown, and even  it attracts European investment."

 The political aspect is complicated

 This visit comes after political transformations in the region, as Turkey seeks to break the Arab isolation but it failed with Egypt.  The exploratory talks between the two went unsucceeded in achieving progress so far, and Turkish optimism about progress in talks with the UAE has not turned into an actual form.

 In this context, Wehbe said: "The political aspect of the visit is important, especially after the Al-Ula meeting in the Kingdom, which led to reconciliation between Qatar and the GCC countries that were on dispute with Qatar in two main issues: the relationship with Iran and the protection of the Muslim Brotherhood. And because Turkey's relationship with Qatar  not interrupted, but deep through the establishment of a Turkish base in Qatar to train military forces in all sectors, even the navy. Turkey has sought political flirtation through Qatar and presenting its experience that it is successful in order to build on that acceptance of rapprochement with the Emirates first, then Egypt, and then Saudi Arabia.

 However, Wehbe added, "But the calculations are not always easy. Things are complicated due first to the personality of President Erdogan, who is still seeking to establish himself as the sultan of Muslims."

 Saudi indifference towards Turkey

In conjunction with Erdogan's visit to Doha, Saudi Crown Prince MBS arrived in the Qatari capital, as part of his Gulf tour.

 According to reports, Erdogan sought to hold a meeting with Saudi Prince in Doha.

 These reports, according to Al-Arab newspaper, suggested that Prince was not enthusiastic about this meeting, which means that Riyadh believes that the time for rapprochement with Ankara has not yet come.

 Sources told "Reuters" that the Turkish president sought to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Qatar, but the incompatibility in their programs prevented that.

 A Turkish and another Gulf official familiar with the plans for the visit said that there were discussions to actually hold a meeting between them in Qatar, but "there was no agreement in the programmes."

And the researcher in international relations, Tariq Wehbe, said, "It is clear that during Erdogan's meeting with Sheikh Tamim Al Thani, there was talk about convergence of views with Saudi Arabia, and the Turkish Foreign Minister went by saying that there are channels with Saudi Arabia and things are going to a settlement, even if it is fictitious, but this is one of the goals of the next stage."  For Turkey first and always to look for foreign investments that save the Turkish national currency.”

He added: "The crisis of the Khashoggi assassination is still pending, and we saw this week how a person named Khaled Al-Otaibi (the names are similar) was arrested at a French airport, as a result of a security memorandum from the Turkish judiciary to Interpol, Turkey is trying, without losing much, to end this."  The file that Saudi Arabia closed after opening an internal judicial file and holding those who were behind this crime accountable at the Saudi embassy in Turkey.”

 The researcher in international relations said: "Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after French President Macron's visit to the Queen, proved that he is indifferent to any words or actions that prevent him from moving, and therefore this tour that will lead him to Oman, then Qatar, and then Bahrain will be the preliminary path for the return of the international movement after his meeting with both Putin  Macron, Qatar, and in the person of the Emir of the country, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will not enter into any mediation, but will facilitate, through his foreign minister, the opening of channels to end the Khashoggi crisis and pave the way for new relations based on mutual respect.

 Turkey's relationship with Egypt is different from its relationship with Saudi Arabia

 Important questions are raised about the possibility of the success of the Saudi-Turkish rapprochement in light of the failure of the Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement efforts.

 The researcher, Tariq Wehbe, pointed out that "it is not possible to approach the Turkish relationship with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, because Egypt competes with Turkey in a number of economic matters, and this does not exist in Saudi Arabia. It is better to see the most important Sunni Muslim triangle: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. On this basis, the strongest Muslim alliance is built."  Sunnis are in the region to respond to Iran's provocative Shiite behavior by controlling four Arab capitals, Baghdad, Damascus, Sanaa and Beirut.

 At the conclusion of his speech, the researcher in international relations, Tariq Wehbe, said: "We should not forget that Turkey is trying seriously to open relations in the east with the former Soviet alliance countries that are close to it (ethnic) and with the countries of Asia that have become developing and developed such as Indonesia and Singapore to form an alliance with them.  Economically and Islamically, it strengthens its position on Europe, which turned its back on it to enter the European Union.

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 ANHA