Ankara’s radical rhetoric sounds like Iran

Qatar and Turkey have both backed the Muslim Brotherhood or its affiliates in various countries, while Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE see the Brotherhood as terrorists. 

This is part of a global struggle for many Islamic institutions, and it should not be seen as merely a small Gulf crisis. It has worldwide ramifications from Malaysia to Pakistan to Libya.

Qatar plays a more complex game, having hosted Hamas in the past and funding Hamas-run Gaza. Although it does not issue the same extremist statements as Ankara, countries in the region have accused Qatar of pushing extremist agendas.

For instance, Egypt and the UAE have backed groups in eastern Libya linked to Khalifa Haftar, while Turkey sends arms – in violation of an embargo – to Tripoli to back western Libya. 

Turkey has been an implacable foe of the Egyptian government. Turkey threatened to cut relations with the UAE when it signed a peace deal with Israel. Ankara’s rhetoric often sounds a lot like Iran when it comes to supporting extremism.

The question now arises as to whether Gulf reconciliation will happen, at what level and what ramifications it may have. The crisis that began in 2017 took place in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and a major Arab and Islamic summit.