Turkey reverses course as mediation efforts flop in Gulf
Turkey’s immediate support of Qatar has exposed its lack of leverage with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states and left it scrambling for a way out of an intractable situation.
Turkey may have recklessly jumped into the fray on Qatar’s side in its dispute with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states without much forethought as to the medium- and long-term consequences. The realities Ankara faces on the ground, however, are forcing it to try to extricate itself from this crisis with minimal damage to its ties with Saudi Arabia and other the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was in the region last week on a tour through Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, trying to carve out a niche for Turkey as a mediator. His mission failed due to conflicting signals from Ankara.
Turkey’s ties with the Gulf states were on a positive trajectory prior to this crisis and Ankara’s regional influence appeared set to increase at a time when matters in Iraq and Syria are coming to a head.
These ties are in question now, thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unequivocal support for his close friend the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Simply put, Ankara is facing what looks like an impossible task. It regards Qatar as its main Gulf ally and is openly supporting it in the present crisis, but it is also wants to develop strategic ties with Saudi Arabia, Qatar’s main foe.
