Ankara is making many attempts to restore relations with Cairo, as Erdogan takes advantage of any occasion to talk about Egypt and its people with love and affection, sending visible and hidden messages that he wishes for the return of friendly relations between the two countries.
However, Cairo has a completely different opinion. Egypt does not care about this sweet talk, and does not intend to respond to the Turkish calls before the later fully agree to all of Egypt’s demands. Egypt suffered a lot and lost dozens of its sons because of Erdogan’s plots, and his support for terrorist groups to destabilize our country.
Egypt certainly decided to stand against the whims and ambitions of the Ottoman ruler Recep Erdogan. Since President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi set the red line of Sirte and Jufra in Libya, Erdogan has not dared to cross it. This is clearly visible, especially after Turkey announced the reopening of the city of Varosha in northern Cyprus, where Egypt was one of the most countries at the regional and international levels, which announced its rejection of Ankara’s unilateral and provocative measures.
According to the statement of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Cairo expressed its deep concern about changing the status of the deserted Varosha region, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Egypt stressed the need to adhere to the Security Council resolutions in this regard, and to avoid any unilateral actions that may complicate the situation and increase the level of tension, with the need to fully adhere to the path of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue under the laws of international legitimacy
Although the European positions were less enthusiastic in that crisis, Cairo, through its response, confirms that it is fully concerned with the security and stability of the Mediterranean basin, and seeks to prevent expansion and colonization policies, since the security of Egypt and the Arab world, in general, is directly affected by what is happening in the Mediterranean.
Cairo’s message in this regard was very clear, which is that Egypt will stand in the way of Ankara’s attempts to persist in its expansionist policies in the Mediterranean waters in particular and in the region in general. Egypt, in this position, relies on the principles of international law and international legitimacy, in addition to having other mechanisms represented in close relations with Greece and Cyprus, where the three countries are bound by agreements and charters in the fields of energy and gas industry. In addition, Cairo is the actual mediator for the establishment of the new cooperation between Greece and the Arab countries.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s statement regarding Turkey was decisive and very clear, and it also implicitly affirms that Turkey’s attempts to get closer to Egypt will not work with Cairo, as long as this Erdogan remains floundering in his illusions, believing that what he is doing in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Hattar in Afghanistan is Neo-Ottoman Expansion. Certainly, this is the goal of Erdogan’s provocative actions, which has become clear to everyone, to the extent that the Turkish Minister of Interior stated that they will soon be able to go to Iraq, Syria, and Libya on foot, in a statement that betrays open ambitions to extend hegemony over these countries.
In fact, Egyptian decision-makers classify Turkey as a rogue state that must be confronted to stop its illegitimate ambitions. Erdogan is mistaken if he thinks, even for a moment, that Egypt, the maker of history, can be bypassed, beaten, or even undermined to undermine its leading role in the region. The Egyptian diplomacy is firm and solid concerning supporting stability, security, and sovereignty of states, based on the principles of equality, commitment, mutual respect, and non-interference in its internal affairs.
During the past six years, Egypt succeeded in managing its international relations within the framework of partnership, supporting the will of the people, and supporting peaceful political solutions to disputed issues. This enabled it to regain its position and pivotal role in the region and the world in a way that contributed to achieving national security goals and supporting its military and economic capabilities.
The Egyptian administration adheres to the principles of international law, respecting covenants and charters, supporting the role of international organizations, and strengthening solidarity among countries. This is in addition to confronting terrorism and combating extremist ideology, with an emphasis on non-interference in the internal affairs of the countries of the region. Egypt’s goal is to re-enter the international system and to commit to regional action. This is what Egypt is striving for, and we will see it on the ground, and it will be proven through careful monitoring of the actions of rogue states such as Turkey.
Dr. Hatem Sadek, Professor at Helwan University
