Turkey’s good words not worth much to Saudi Arabia

Turkey’s efforts to mend ties with the Gulf bloc don't pass Riyadh's tacit preconditions.
A security guard stands in front of Istanbul's courthouse on July 3, 2020, during the trial of 20 Saudi suspects accused in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 in Istanbul. The trial in absentia of 20 Saudi suspects accused of the murder, including two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, began in Istanbul on July 3, 2020.
A security guard stands in front of Istanbul's courthouse on July 3, 2020, during the trial of 20 Saudi suspects accused of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The trial in absentia of 20 Saudi suspects accused of the murder, including two former aides to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, began in Istanbul on July 3, 2020. - OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images
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Fehim Tastekin
@fehimtastekin
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In parallel with its normalization efforts with Egypt, Turkey is now trying to mend ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but it seems to be trapped in a position in which it has to make concessions.

As part of these efforts, Ankara last week extended an olive branch to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, but Riyadh’s response to Ankara's gesture failed to break the ice as Saudi Arabia announced that it would close eight Turkish schools in the kingdom.

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