Türkiye-Saudi Arabia relations in one line on that issue
Last Updated on July 17, 2024 9:57 am
Despite the deterioration of relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia on many regional issues in the past decade, both countries seem to be steadfast in their position on the issue of an independent Palestine. This issue has created a new boundary between the two countries.
Since the beginning, Riyadh and Ankara have been raising their voices in the international arena in favor of recognizing Palestine as an independent state. However, sometimes the relationship between Riyadh and Ankara declines. But now Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have focused on the broken relationship.
Over the past few years, the Muslim world has failed to resolve the Palestinian issue. There is no doubt that the country that can solve this issue will become the leader of the Muslim world. Therefore, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have no shortage of interest in Palestine.
Egypt and Iran are also trying to play their role in this issue. But aside from competing among themselves in the ongoing Gaza war, these Muslim countries are united in resolving the Palestinian issue.
Erdogan has been presenting himself as the defender of the Islamic establishment in Palestine and Jerusalem in order to win the support of the Turkish people. For this reason, he is also giving support to Palestinian fighters with anti-Western stance. But the problem in his own country has kept Erdogan busy, so Türkiye cannot play a role in the Palestinian issue.
Saudi Arabia is also adamant about its position on the Palestinian issue. Now, Riyadh and Ankara are getting stronger on the Palestine issue by protecting the interests of their respective countries.
The Saudi crown prince visited Turkey in May 2022 as part of normalizing relations after years of strain, according to BBC News. At this time, he had a meeting with Erdoğan. Ankara is also seen as desperate to heal diplomatic wounds after a decade of tension. Because of this, after visiting Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi King Salman, Erdogan said, Ankara and Riyadh are trying to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations “to usher in a new era”.
Differences between Turkey and Saudi Arabia over the issue of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have rocked the two countries. In 2018, the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul worsened relations between Ankara and Riyadh. However, in 2022, Erdogan’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Prince Mohammed’s visit to Ankara in the same year gradually normalized the relations between the two countries. Now the two countries are also joining hands on the issue of Palestine.
It is known that the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, arrived in Turkey on a state visit to strengthen bilateral relations. After arriving in Turkey, Erdoğan welcomed Prince Faisal at Dolmabache Palace in Istanbul.
Saudi Press Agency reported that the two leaders discussed Saudi-Turkish relations and various regional and international issues. Earlier, Prince Faisal had a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.