Tag: Council for Arab-British Understanding

But what's clear is that -- whatever has happened to Khashoggi -- this story lies at the nexus of increasing power games and regional rivalries across the Middle East, where the space for dissent and opposition to the ruling elites is shrinking fast. Turkey has been keen to manage its relationship with the Saudis, while being more critical of the Saudis' key regional partner, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). By way of contrast, Turkey has an important relationship with Iran, despite being very different regimes. Iran is an Islamist Shia theocratic state whereas Turkey is Sunni albeit under increasingly autocratic and de-secularized rule. When it comes to Syria's future, Iran is happy to let Turkey get its way over the Kurds if Turkey agrees to Iran's role in the country and the survival of the Assad regime. Erdogan has broadly supported the Muslim Brotherhood and encouraged the Arab uprisings from 2010-2012, events that Saudi Arabia viewed with alarm. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a blockade on Qatar in May 2017. Turkey and Iran came to Qatar's aid, with Iran becoming a major trade partner in essential goods including food, while Turkey dispatched forces to Qatar in order to deter any aggression. The UAE is more focused on the Muslim Brotherhood than the Saudis. This is useful when you consider that it covets greater influence in Egypt and in the Gulf.