Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives in Turkey for the primary time in years for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The journey is seen as an try to normalize relations between the nations that soured following the homicide of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside Riyadh’s Istanbul consulate in 2018.
The crown prince, seen because the de-facto chief of Saudi Arabia, might be assembly Erdogan on the final leg of a Center East tour that has taken him to Egypt and Jordan. His go to comes forward of US President Joe Biden’s journey to the area subsequent month.
In April, Erdogan traveled to Saudi Arabia and held one-on-one talks with the Saudi prince, the place he raised the potential for investments that might assist ease the pressure on Turkey’s struggling financial system.
Saudi Arabia has been making an attempt to broaden its alliances at a time when relations between Riyadh and Washington are strained. The crown prince additionally needs to finish the scandal surrounding Khashoggi’s assassination, which has broken his picture.
Shadow of Khashoggi’s homicide
Relations between the nations hit all-time low after Turkey gave a blow-by-blow account of how a Saudi hit squad killed and dismembered Khashoggi on the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018. On the time, Erdogan blamed the “highest stage” of the Saudi authorities.
Khashoggi had entered the consulate in October 2018 by appointment to acquire papers to permit him to wed his Turkish fiancee, who waited for him outdoors. He by no means emerged and his physique was by no means discovered.
The killing of Khashoggi sparked international outrage and put strain on Mohammed bin Salman, who was stated to have accepted the operation to kill or seize Khashoggi, in keeping with a US intelligence evaluation. The crown prince has denied any information of the operation that was carried out by brokers who labored straight for him.
Turkey had opened a trial in absentia towards 26 Saudis suspected of Khashoggi’s homicide, however the court docket earlier this yr dominated to halt the proceedings and transferred the case to Saudi Arabia, paving the best way for the nations’ rapprochement.
The court docket’s choice drew robust protests from Khashoggi’s Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, and Turkey’s political opposition. “He will get off the airplane and hugs the killers,” stated Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chief of the Republican Folks’s Social gathering (CHP), who expressed outrage over Erdogan’s earlier go to to Saudi Arabia.
Financial disaster in Turkey
Turkey’s efforts to enhance ties with Saudi Arabia comes as Turkey faces its worst financial disaster in 20 years and is making an attempt to draw investments from rich Gulf Arab states. Turkey has additionally taken steps to enhance relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel.
Turkey’s financial system is being battered by a slumping lira and inflation hovering past 70%. Analysts consider the ensuing drop in Erdogan’s public approval and the depletion of state reserves means the Turkish chief can sick afford to keep up his hostile stance towards the petrodollar-filled Gulf states.
Saudi funds and international foreign money may assist Erdogan shore up help forward of elections in June 2023, analysts say.
dh/kb (AP, AFP, Reuters)