Turkey to attend Arab League summit for first time in 13 years

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the Arab League summit in Cairo on Tuesday. This marks the first time in over 13 years that a Turkish foreign minister has participated in an Arab League summit. The strained relations between Turkey and some of its regional neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Egypt, began during the 2011 “Arab Spring” uprisings.

Over the years, the Arab League has frequently condemned Turkey’s role in the region, particularly its military operations in Syria, Libya, and Somalia. However, Hakan Fidan, as the intelligence chief, initiated a policy of normalization in 2020. This led to agreements with the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations based on long-term mutual benefits such as regional cooperation and trade.

As the current foreign minister, Fidan continued efforts to mend ties with Arab countries, including Syria, which regained full membership in the organization last year. The Arab League required the consent of all member states, including Syria, for Turkey’s participation in the summit. Despite recent unsuccessful normalization talks, Damascus accepted Fidan’s presence at the summit.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s recent visit to Turkey, aimed at fully resuming bilateral ties, played a crucial role in facilitating Fidan’s participation in the summit. Additionally, recent Turkish diplomatic efforts, including the foreign minister’s meetings with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and ambassadors of Arab countries, were instrumental in this decision.

Consequently, the Arab League dissolved its committee, which was charged with exploring “Turkey’s intervention in the internal affairs of the Arab states,” and dropped the related proposed topic of debate for the summit. For the first time in years, the 22-member league did not criticize Turkey in the summit declaration.

Fidan is expected to make a statement at the summit on Tuesday to underline the importance of Turkish-Arab relationships and discuss regional issues, including Israel’s war on Gaza.