Days after Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz launched an initiative for reconciliation between Egypt and Qatar, Turkey hinted at a desire to restore ties with Cairo, seemingly following in Doha’s steps.
Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Bülent Arinç stressed the necessity to remove tension between his country and Egypt. However, he said that Cairo should break the deadlock first.
In an interview with TV channel Al Jazeera Türk, Arinç said that Turkey does not accept in principle the overthrow of an elected person and government through a coup, however it is a reality that the world has accepted, evidenced by the fact that the Egyptian president can now visit the United States and all Western countries.
Turkish officials, according to Arinç, are preparing to visit Gulf countries to handle tensions resulting from conflicts between the two sides on issues like Syria, Egypt and Gaza.
Regarding the Egyptian-Qatari reconciliation, the controversial TV channel Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr announced on Monday a permanent halt to broadcasting from Doha until it resumes broadcast from Cairo when appropriate situations are available. No specific date was declared.
Both Cairo and Doha earlier expressed aspirations to take steps to remove the conflicts between them.
“Egypt hopes that the coming few days will see positive steps to enforce the Saudi King’s initiative,” Presidential Spokesperson Alaa Youssef said. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s meeting with the Qatari emir’s envoy was preliminary and will be followed by other meetings, Youssef added.
Meanwhile, the Qatari envoy Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani said in remarks published in the Qatari Al-Arab newspaper that there will be steps taken by the two countries to boost and restore the ties. He indicated that his country will always welcome the Muslim Brotherhood, whom it hosts so long as they do not practice policitical activities. He also said that Cairo did not ask Doha to mediate with the Brotherhood, adding that if Egypt did, Qatar would welcome any action to help reconcile the local situation in Egypt and establish a national dialogue.
Egypt is reportedly mulling Qatar’s invitation to the economic summit planned in Sharm al-Sheikh, Al-Masry Al-Youm was informed.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
