Can Turkiye now be part of the Arab regional system?
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In March 2010, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa proposed expanding the group to include Turkiye — as a friendly neighboring major power with significant historical, cultural, and economic ties to the Arab world — in a strategic dialogue. The proposal was postponed and was never realized because of the Arab uprisings that began nine months later.
This proposal was part of Moussa’s “Arab neighboring policy,” which was aligned with Turkiye’s “zero-problem with neighbors” policy, but both policies were tested by critical regional shifts after 2011.
Thirteen years later, a Turkish foreign minister was invited for the first time to attend the Arab League Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Cairo. Hakan Fidan’s participation demonstrated the group’s recognition of Turkiye’s importance in regional affairs as Ankara’s efforts to normalize relations with its Arab neighbors since 2021 began to yield results.
As Turkiye enters a phase of normalization with regional states, there has been a concerted effort to substantiate this new era on a more institutional basis, with economic and security interests the main pillars. In this context, Turkey and the GCC states adopted a joint action plan for 2023-2027, showing their commitment to deeper relations. This was followed by an agreement to begin formal negotiations for a free-trade agreement. Turkiye and the GCC states also decided to resume strategic discussions, both institutionally and bilaterally.
Fidan said the next Turkish-Arab Economy Forum would be held in Istanbul in October. This is noteworthy because, in 2013, amid severe regional polarization over developments in Egypt —the headquarters of the Arab League — the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum was left in limbo, with no Arab country offering to host that year’s meeting. The forum was set up in İstanbul in 2007 with an agreement signed by Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Moussa. Its first meeting was in İstanbul in 2008, and the second in Damascus in 2009.
The forum is an avenue for foreign ministers to discuss regional and international affairs. It was established to develop political, social, economic and cultural relations between Turkiye and Arab League members. The forum is important because it focuses on the non-conventional aspects of Turkish-Arab relations, such as social and cultural interactions. Turkiye’s relations with Arab states, especially those in the Gulf, need social and cultural elements.
The recent normalization between Ankara and Cairo has been a catalyst for Turkiye’s reintegration into the Arab regional system. Egypt’s pivotal role and central position in the region have influenced the Arab League’s acceptance of Turkiye. This normalization, marked by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s long-awaited visit to Ankara last week, facilitated Fidan’s participation in the summit.
Syria approved Turkiye’s participation in the Arab League gathering, though it was also claimed that the Syrian delegation left during Fidan’s speech — something Turkish sources have denied. Nevertheless, there are continuing efforts to normalize Turkish-Syrian relations, driven largely by Arab states keen to reintegrate Syria into the Arab fold. Turkiye’s relationship with the Arab League may advance Turkish-Syrian normalization within the Arab institutional framework. Ankara’s efforts to normalize ties with Damascus are progressing gradually, which is understandable given that the issues in Turkiye-Syria relations are more complex than the ideological or regional dominance disputes Turkey has had with other Arab nations. These relations are multifaceted, involving challenges such as the Kurdish threat, refugee concerns, political opposition, and the presence of Turkish military forces.
In the past decade, in the name of Arab solidarity and sovereignty, the Arab League has consistently criticized Turkiye’s operations in northern Syria as illegal. Turkiye’s military presence in Libya and Somalia was also criticized. In this new era, it is unlikely that we will see more such criticism, since much of it was voiced during a period of tension between Turkiye and the Arab states. Consequently, the Arab League dissolved its committee exploring “Turkiye’s intervention in the internal affairs of the Arab states” and dropped a related proposed topic of debate for the summit. For the first time in years, the group did not criticize Turkiye in the summit declaration.
The Gaza war was the central topic of Fidan’s speech. Turkiye is already part of the joint contact group to seek an end to the violence. Fidan asked the Arab ministers to close ranks against Israel, following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s proposal to form an alliance among Islamic countries with that purpose.
The Gaza war has underpinned the normalization process as Turkiye has supported Arab efforts. This clearly echoes Turkiye’s pre-2011 policies in the region, when Ankara aimed to win the hearts of not only the Arab public but also elites. Whether Moussa’s “Arab neighboring policy” will finally integrate Turkiye into the Arab regional system remains to be seen, but there is hope for progress.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz
