Spotlight: Erdogan's Gulf tour could boost chances of reconciliation despite lack of immediate results

Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-26 00:39:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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ISTANBUL, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The mediation tour to the Gulf by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not produced any immediate results, though it could help boost chances of a future reconciliation, analysts told Xinhua.

"This visit of Erdogan is important, but not a move that would resolve the crisis," said Huseyin Bagci, a professor of international relations at Ankara's Middle East Technical University (METU).

In his two-day tour that ended on Monday, Erdogan met with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Upon his return to Ankara, he sounded mildly optimistic about the results of his visit, although revealing no tangible progress.

"I told (Saudi) King Salman that our expectation for the settlement of the crisis is big," he told the press at the airport, while praising Qatar's "positive attitude."

In the worst row among Arab nations in years, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain cut off diplomatic ties with and imposed an all-out blockade against Qatar on June 5 over what they called Doha's support for terrorism and its meddling in their internal affairs.

Right from the start of the crisis, Turkey has sided with Qatar and echoed its sentiment by dismissing the claims against Doha as baseless.

Noting that there have been no change in the Gulf countries' positions following Erdogan's visit, Bagci described the trip as a "diplomatic initiative that did not bear any fruit."

Two days after the crisis erupted, the Turkish parliament approved deploying troops to Qatar based on a defense deal that was signed in 2014. Around 200 Turkish troops have since been dispatched to the Turkish base in Qatar.

"Turkey has no chance of ending the conflict on its own, because it has adopted a pro-Qatar stance at the beginning," observed Faruk Logoglu, a former diplomat who held top posts in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

"The significance of the role Turkey can play in the crisis is dependent upon the room particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt would provide for Turkey," he said.

The Turkey-Egypt ties have also been strained since former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood was removed from power by the Egyptian military in 2013.

Turkey is known to have good ties, like Qatar, with the Muslim Brotherhood, which was listed as a terror group by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others.

Following Erdogan's tour in the Gulf, Anwar Gargash, UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, criticized the visit over Twitter, saying it would not produce any progress.

Noting the best option for Ankara is keeping neutral, Gargash said that Qatar would achieve more by reviewing its position than receiving visits of foreign statesmen.

The Gulf countries have had a number of foreign dignitaries on their soils lately trying to mediate the diplomatic row, among them U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Doha says it is open to dialogue, but only after the embargo is removed. "Lifting the siege should precede any dialogue," Qatar's Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah said on Tuesday.

Logoglu is hopeful that the Turkish efforts for the settlement of the crisis could bear fruit in the longer run.

"The visit comes at a time when the discourse of the parties to the conflict is toning down, buttressed by the optimistic statements from the U.S. administration regarding Qatar's stand," he said.

Referring to the fact that the crisis has not gotten worse since it first started, Logoglu expected these mediation efforts to push the sides toward a settlement.

In his view, Turkey should coordinate its efforts with the U.S. so as to achieve success.

Erdogan, who had rejected the closure of the Turkish base, said the issue did not come up during his talks in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Logoglu said that a more balanced, all-embracing approach with an emphasis on reconciliation that was employed by Erdogan before leaving for the Gulf is a positive change, considering his "heavily one-sided stance in support of Qatar" in the early stage of the crisis.

"This recalibration is good news, and if sustained, it could enhance Turkey's ability to play a more effective role in the resolution of the conflict," he said.

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