Has Erdogan given up rapprochement with Arabs?
For many years, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan worked toward rapprochement with the Arab world, but the Arab League’s condemnation of Turkey’s Syria operation has marked a turning point.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president and the chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), made tremendous efforts during the party's 17 years rule to improve the negative perception of Arabs in Turkey.
In a 2010 statement, he said, “It is very wrong to judge with prejudice the relations Turkey developed with Arab nations. It is a gross fallacy to say ‘Arabs betrayed us.’ Unfortunately, we still have a mentality that even calls Arabs dogs."
In another statement that year, he said, "Turks and Arabs had turned their backs on each for a century because of misguided policies. Remember our famous poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who said, 'Turks can’t live without Arabs. Whoever says they can is crazy. The Arab is the right eye and right hand of the Turk.'"
In a 2011 speech he said, “Arabs are our brothers. We are their brothers. No matter who says what, we will continue to develop our friendship, brotherhood and cooperation with our Arab brothers.”
