https://arab.news/pkr58
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan embarked on a Gulf tour this week that included three stops: Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. While Qatar is not an unusual destination given the close relations between Ankara and Doha, the visits to Kuwait and Oman had particular significance.
In Kuwait and Oman, Erdogan reciprocated the visits of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to Turkiye last year. The Kuwaiti emir’s visit came as part of a regional tour and was his first to a non-Arab country. Sultan Haitham’s visit to Turkiye was the first by an Omani sultan in nearly 40 years. In both visits, which had significant political and diplomatic weight, several agreements were signed and they certainly opened a new page in these states’ modest relations with Ankara. Erdogan visited these two nations to both reciprocate and solidify their evolving ties.
As an observer of Turkish-Gulf relations, I would argue that Turkish policymakers acknowledge that Ankara’s relations with Kuwait and Oman have yet to reach their full strategic potential. There is an understanding that each Gulf state has diverse interests and visions, which has led Ankara to develop distinct agendas with them. It is clear there is significant political will at the leadership level, which is crucial when it comes to the personalized nature of Turkish-Gulf relations.
