Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in the United Arab Emirates today. This is his first visit to the rich Gulf state in almost nine years.
Erdogan is expected to visit the United Arab Emirates for two days. When the economic aspect is the significant aspect he would like to promote. Erdogan’s visit comes during a very difficult economic crisis for Turkey and the search for new foreign investment. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates is facing an increasing security threat from the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
At the press conference he convened before his departure, Erdogan spoke about the economic plans between the countries today and about improving relations in the future. “I hope that this visit will be good and that we will be able to increase cooperation in a variety of directions. In industry and the economy, in agriculture, in culture, in education and on other issues.”
The Turkish president has revealed that he intends to visit the Turkish pavilion at the Expo in Dubai “despite the plague, as you know the exhibition has opened and we know there are many visitors to the place. I intend to visit the exhibition there in general and the Turkish pavilion”. Erdogan apologized that his wife would not join the visit due to the fact that she was recovering from the corona virus.
Ahead of his visit, Erdogan announced a new era in Turkey’s relations with the United Arab Emirates. He tweeted on his Twitter account that “we have started a new era in Turkish-UAE relations through our meeting with Abu Dhabi’s regent Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed in Ankara in November.” Relations between the two countries were strained after the boycott imposed by Saudi Arabia and other countries (including the United Arab Emirates) on Qatar, Ankara’s closest ally. A boycott that lasted from mid-2017 to the beginning of last year.
Further disagreements arose when the UAE and Turkey supported opposing sides in the Libyan war and did not see eye to eye on the issue of gas exploration in the Mediterranean. In addition, Turkey has provided support to members of Islamist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been defined as a terrorist organization in the UAE and the Gulf states. However, relations improved with the visit of Abu Dhabi’s regent, Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed al-Nahian, to Turkey last November – the first visit of a senior emirate at this level since 2012.