The Saudi prince and foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, received his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavusoglu, in Riyadh on Tuesday with the aim of resuming dialogue between the two states and overcoming the differences that have caused an impasse in their relations since 2016.
Experts believe Çavusoglu's trip is primarily aimed at repairing relations with Saudi Arabia and ending the boycott imposed by the Kingdom that is plaguing the Turkish economy and led to a 93 per cent drop in Turkish exports to the Saudi regime. The total volume of trade with Saudi Arabia plummeted from $1 billion to $67 million.
Riyadh and Ankara's positions have diverged on foreign policy. The conflict in Libya, where Saudi Arabia has backed General Haftar and Turkey is backing Fayez al-Sarraj's Government of National Accord, has further dilated tensions between the two.
Another sticking point has been Recep Tayyip Erdogan's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which is persecuted by the Saudi regime.
Turkish support for groups and militias linked to the Muslim Brotherhood is one of the factors that have hindered the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement. This support has not eased tensions within Yemen’s “legitimacy” camp and flies in the face of the Saudi plan to speed a Yemeni political settlement that ensures Riyadh’s national security and curtails Iranian influence in the strategic region.
The matter does not stop at Yemen nor at obstructing a political settlement there that would enable Riyadh to exit with the least possible damage. Turkish activities blocking the interests of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have become more obvious in the Horn of Africa, with a focus on securing positions in Somalia and Djibouti.
Ankara is trying to show a favorable image in the Middle East, especially with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt. Yet, The Turkish government has done nothing on the ground that would clear tensions.
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