The normalization process with Egypt, which is one of the important points of the foreign policy initiatives carried out by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government in the last 2 years, has been suspended by the putschist Egyptian regime. Expressing their discomfort with the hydrocarbon agreement signed between Turkey and Libya at the beginning of October, Egyptian Foreign Minister Semih Şükrü announced that they stopped the normalization process with Turkey. While Turkey maintains its insistent stance on normalization with Egypt in terms of the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean, the collapse of the agreement bridges by the coup regime was recorded as a minus point in Turkey's foreign policy record in terms of international reputation.
COUP REGIME TAKES A SIDE FROM GREECE
The hydrocarbon agreement signed between Turkey and Libya at the beginning of October disturbed the Egyptian-Greek alliance. Shortly after the signing of the Turkey-Libya agreement, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Egypt Foreign Minister Semih Şükrü met in Cairo, the capital of Egypt and made threatening statements against Turkey. The Egyptian regime, which currently supports the Tobruk government led by General Haftar, one of the two governments in Libya, does not recognize the Tripoli government that signed the hydrocarbon agreement with Turkey.
AGREEMENT WITH TURKEY IS MORE BENEFICIAL
General Sisi, who carried out a treacherous military coup against the rule of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in 2013, continues to drag Egypt into a dark corridor. Sisi's inconsistent and unsuccessful moves in both economy and foreign policy darken the future hopes of the Egyptians. The Egyptian regime prefers to be on the side of Greece despite its national interests in the energy conflict equation in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey and Greece are the main actors, and many international elements such as Israel, Libya, TRNC and the Greek Cypriot Administration are directly involved. Although in case of agreement with Turkey, Egypt would make at least 2 times more profit than the agreement with Greece, the Egyptian regime could not adopt an agreement with Turkey due to its ideological concerns. The Egyptian regime, which takes into account the support of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has a serious impact on the Turkish public opinion, continues its cautious behavior towards Turkey in order to preserve the despotic rule.
SISI ALWAYS ABSTAINS TO NORMALIZATION
The Egyptian government followed a cautious and abstaining policy against Turkey since the beginning of the process, against Turkey's insistence on normalization. In some analyzes in the Arab media, it was written that the head of the coup regime, Sisi, never trusted President Erdogan's intention to get closer to Egypt. Despite some embargoes imposed by the AKP government on the members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey in order to win the heart of the coup regime, the Egyptian coup regime maintained its distant stance on normalization. Regarding the normalization process between Egypt and Turkey in international platforms, perception of Turkey is the chaser and Egypt is the fleeing party prevailed.
TURKEY HAS OPENED ALL DOORS
President Erdoğan said last year, “Our intelligence, diplomatic and economic cooperation process with Egypt continues. There is no hassle. This is not at the highest level, but continues under a click low level. Our hearts wish that we continue this process with Egypt much stronger. After these intelligence, diplomatic and political talks are fruitful, we will take it further. It is out of question for the Egyptian people and the Turkish nation to be separate. It is out of the question to settle the Egyptian people next to Greece,” he said. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in his statement on the normalization of relations with Egypt, “Our relations with Egypt need to be improved. As two countries or people of two countries, we may have different opinions. The positive relations between the two countries are not only reflected in the two countries. (This reflection) exists in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is important in the Palestinian issue, it is important for the Islamic world, it is important for the Arab world, It is important for Africa, important for the Middle East.”