The relationship between Turkey and Saudi Arabia has been limited since the establishment of relations due to different political considerations and Turkey’s security-oriented foreign policy toward the Middle East. However, the internal transformations in the two countries and the developments in regional and international level changed the course of their relations during the 2000s.
On the Turkish side, the coming to power of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2002 with a new discourse toward the Middle East has been important. On the Saudi side, the late King Abdullah’s accession to the Saudi throne in 2005 paved the way for the two countries to come closer. The official visits from both sides and several agreements signed between the two countries further developed the relations. The problematic issues in the Middle East, such as the Palestinian issue, Syrian conflict, Iranian nuclear threat, instability in Iraq and common security concerns pushed the two countries toward further cooperation. Thus, the emergence of new challenges in the region has contributed substantially to the start of a new era in Turkish-Saudi relations.
During the Arab uprisings, which changed the course of Middle Eastern history, Ankara and Riyadh, two regional heavyweights, managed to cooperate in certain fields in order to secure their own interests as well as to enhance their positions in the politically-fragile region.
Ankara and Riyadh increased their cooperation on Syria, in which both countries sought the fall of Bashar Assad. The ouster of Muhammad Mursi in Egypt through military intervention in 2013 led to a strain in Turkish-Saudi relations. However, that was short-lived and relations were soon back on track.
When King Salman became the Kingdom’s ruler, he reshuffled the priorities of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policies and began a real shift in evaluating Riyadh’s relations with the main powers in the region and Turkey was first priority on the list.
The recent exchange of visits from both sides can be considered as a significant indicator of the improving ties between two states. Particularly the ongoing visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif can be considered “highly significant and extremely timely.”
The crown prince, who arrived in Ankara on Thursday afternoon, was welcomed by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim at an official ceremony. He came to Turkey with a full agenda for his two-day visit.
First, the crown prince is visiting Turkey for the first time since the bloody coup attempt against the Turkish government on July 15. His visit shows the supportive Saudi position concerning the coup attempt and this is highly praised and valued by Turkey.
Second, the crown prince’s meetings with Turkey’s top officials, particularly with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, will be a good opportunity to share opinions on ways to foster regional stability and security. It is crucial as it will provide a chance for both sides to highlight once again their concerns with current developments in the region.
The visit will also be a chance for the two sides to lay the groundwork for strategic cooperation involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. One of the most important topics on the table will be the economy. In the meetings between the two sides, Turkey’s signing of the free trade agreements with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries is expected to be addressed. Needless to say, the crown prince will also meet leading Turkish businessmen to discuss ways of increasing economic relations and investment opportunities in Turkey. Currently, 700 Saudi companies operating in Turkey have more than $2 billion worth of incentives. In addition,Turkey hopes to announce new incentives that will encourage more Saudi and Gulf companies to invest in Turkey by the end of the year. The timing of the crown prince’s visit is also significant in one other aspect. At a time when Moody’s, the credit ratings agency, has downgraded Turkey’s sovereign credit rating, Gulf support to Turkey is appreciated. We take the message from this visit that Saudi Arabia has full faith in the Turkish economy regardless of negative ratings and looks forward to following the path it has adopted.
When looking at the visit’s timing and current developments in the region, beneficial outcomes are expected by both countries. It will be in the best interest of both Turkey and Saudi Arabia to carry their relations developed over the past decade to a new level amid the instability in the region and to shape their foreign policies according to their own best interests, while also considering many other areas of cooperation.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes mainly on issues regarding Turkey’s relations with the Middle East. She can be reached on Twitter @SinemCngz
