Analysis-Hobbled by economy, Erdogan heads to Saudi to mend ties after
Khashoggi U-turn
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[April 28, 2022]
By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Jonathan Spicer
ANKARA (Reuters) - Three and a half years
after accusing Saudi Arabia's leadership of murder and running a sham
trial over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish President
Tayyip Erdogan plans a trip to the Gulf kingdom on Thursday to mend
ties.
Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, was killed by a Saudi hit
squad at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate in 2018. At the time, Erdogan
accused the "highest levels" of the Saudi government of giving the
orders, and slammed Riyadh's own legal process while refusing to share
evidence with them over concerns of tampering.
With Turkey's economy now facing deepening woes and tough elections
looming, Erdogan is pushing to mend Ankara's strained diplomatic
relations.
The trip is the culmination of a months-long effort by Ankara to repair
ties with Riyadh after Saudi Arabia imposed an unofficial boycott on
Turkish imports over its stance on the Khashoggi murder, and marks a
dramatic shift by Turkey.
Ankara's decision this month to transfer its own legal case over the
murder to Riyadh on the kingdom's demand was criticised by rights groups
and the opposition. But analysts and diplomats say the rapprochement was
much needed given the isolation Turkey faced diplomatically.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Apr/28/images/ads/current/graue_21CAMARO_100421.png)
"Turkey cannot continue this sphere-of-influence game that it has been
pursuing since the beginning of the Arab Spring," said Birol Baskan,
Turkey-based non-resident scholar at Washington-based Middle East
Institute.
Turkey has in recent years established military bases in Qatar and
Somalia despite opposition from regional actors. Ankara's positions on
the conflicts in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and elsewhere, as well
as the acquisition of Russian defence systems, have also caused friction
with neighbours and NATO allies.
"Turkey's aggressive foreign policy, its self-aggrandizing perception
has left it excluded," Baskan said, adding that economic conditions
necessitated a change of approach.
Ankara describes its foreign policy as "entrepreneurial and
humanitarian" and the foreign minister has called 2022 "the year of
normalisation" for Turkey.
The government has said the Khashoggi trial decision was not political.
Before the move, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said conditions for
"judicial cooperation" with Riyadh had not been met previously, but the
sides were implementing it now. He did not say what had changed.
Turkey's economy has been ailing for years and a lira crisis erupted in
late 2021 due to an unorthodox monetary policy backed by Erdogan. Ankara
has since been looking for ways to alleviate the pressure via
international rapprochements.
In addition to existing currency swap deals with China, Qatar, South
Korea and the United Arab Emirates - worth a total of $28 billion -
Ankara is eyeing a deal with Riyadh. It also seeks investments and
contracts, similar to those inked with Abu Dhabi.
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![](../images/042822pics/news_y91.jpg)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference, in
Tirana, Albania January 17, 2022 REUTERS/Florion Goga
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/May/02/images/ads/current/guzzardo_lda022609.png) On Wednesday, Turkish Finance
Minister Nureddin Nebati said he had discussed cooperation and
exchanged views on the economy, trade and investments with his Saudi
counterpart.
POLICY U-TURN
After its foreign policy left it isolated in its region and beyond,
Turkey launched a charm offensive in 2020 to repair ties with
estranged rivals, making overtures to Egypt, the UAE, Israel and
Saudi Arabia.
Efforts with Cairo have so far yielded little progress but
normalisation with the UAE and Israel has improved commercial and
diplomatic ties. Relations with Riyadh had remained frosty while the
kingdom sought a solution to the Khashoggi dispute.
Ankara had demanded senior Saudi officials be prosecuted for the
murder, criticising as inadequate a Saudi verdict jailing eight
people for between seven and twenty years over the killing.
However, it has since sharply softened its tone as far as saying it
has no bilateral issues with Riyadh. Ankara also gave a muted
response to a U.S. intelligence report, which said Prince Mohammed
had approved the killing.
Riyadh denied any involvement by the Crown Prince and rejected the
report's findings.
With the Khashoggi case back in Riyadh and Turkey revising its
regional policies, analysts and officials believe political
obstacles to normalising ties with Saudi Arabia and ending the trade
boycott have been removed.
Turkish exporters believe the boycott, which slashed their exports
to Saudi Arabia by 98%, will now end. Neither side has confirmed a
resumption of trade yet.
"There are talks between companies now, we have also gotten in
contact with our old clients," said Hasan Gumus, chairman of
agribusiness firm Yayla Agro, adding trade would return to old
levels rapidly when resumed.
"The crisis Turkey had with Saudi Arabia is over now," said Middle
East Institute's Baskan.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Apr/28/images/ads/current/Lincoln_Banking_Center_lda_4-18-22.png)
"Erdogan might secure some capital and state contracts. This is a
major foreign policy reversal but it will be good for Turkey."
(Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Additional reporting by Nevzat
Devranoglu and Ceyda Caglayan; Editing by Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren
Butler and Toby Chopra)
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