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Erdogan Addresses Egyptian-Turkish Ties, Cairo Doesn’t Anticipate Any Progress

The first round of exploratory talks between Egypt and Türkiye in Cairo in 2021. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
The first round of exploratory talks between Egypt and Türkiye in Cairo in 2021. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Erdogan Addresses Egyptian-Turkish Ties, Cairo Doesn’t Anticipate Any Progress

The first round of exploratory talks between Egypt and Türkiye in Cairo in 2021. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
The first round of exploratory talks between Egypt and Türkiye in Cairo in 2021. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is developing ties with Egypt based on mutual interests.

He made the remarks at a parliament session on Saturday marking the new legislative year, Anadolu Agency reported.

“Our relations with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Israel are developing based on mutual interests, and a similar process is underway with Egypt,” Erdogan noted.

Egypt’s relations with Türkiye have been strained – with no shared ambassadors – since the 2013 ouster of Egypt’s late Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who was backed by Erdogan’s government.

The rift between the two countries then continued to widen, most notably when Türkiye voiced its opposition to the June 30 Revolution of 2013 and its condemnation of Egypt’s judicial sentences against members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organization in 2013.

Egypt has also slammed Türkiye for harboring members and leading figures of the Brotherhood and allowing them to voice their anti-Egyptian government rhetoric on Turkish TV channels.

In March 2021, Turkish authorities ordered Istanbul-based TV channels affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood to stop airing criticism and incitement leveled against Egypt and Gulf states immediately.

In May and September 2021, the two countries held two rounds of exploratory talks at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Cairo and Ankara to discuss restoring relations.

Former Egyptian foreign minister Mohamed Orabi said the pace of bilateral ties has been fixed for some time now, adding that no developments have been achieved since the exploratory talks in 2021.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Orabi pointed out that both countries haven’t resolved any of the outstanding issues, including Türkiye’s role in Libya, Syria and Iraq, as well as the skirmishes in the eastern Mediterranean.

He stressed that Ankara should exert extra effort to prove its keenness to maintain Cairo’s security.

In June 2021, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Türkiye’s shift in its approach is the key to advance normalizing bilateral ties.

He further underscored the importance for Ankara to take into consideration Cairo’s stances regarding its policies that have an impact on Egypt’s interests.

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Syria Launches Border Security Sweep amid Fears of Iranian Activity

Security forces during the ongoing security sweep in Al-Mayadeen in Syria’s Deir Ezzor.
Security forces during the ongoing security sweep in Al-Mayadeen in Syria’s Deir Ezzor.
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Syria Launches Border Security Sweep amid Fears of Iranian Activity

Security forces during the ongoing security sweep in Al-Mayadeen in Syria’s Deir Ezzor.
Security forces during the ongoing security sweep in Al-Mayadeen in Syria’s Deir Ezzor.

Damascus has launched a security operation in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border in what sources described as a preemptive move, amid warnings that Iran could mobilize allied armed groups in the area, sources in the Syrian capital told Asharq Al-Awsat.

According to the sources, Syrian authorities received regional intelligence alerts about the potential for Iran to activate factions and militia members formerly linked to its Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

These groups, which remain active in cross-border smuggling, maintain extensive ties with Iraqi militias aligned with Tehran.

The sources said there are growing concerns that Iran may use these proxies to carry out attacks against US-led coalition forces or regional troops, as a means of broadening the conflict and easing pressure from Israeli strikes.

Two days after a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa - during which Erdogan reportedly urged Damascus to stay out of the conflict - Syrian authorities announced the launch of a sweeping security campaign in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.

Col. Derrar Al-Shamlan, head of internal security in Deir Ezzor, said on Monday that a “comprehensive security operation” had begun across the province, in full coordination with the Ministry of Defense, which is providing security cover and logistical support.

Shamlan urged residents to report any suspicious activity, saying the operation is aimed at rooting out remnants of what he called the “defunct regime.”

The campaign began at dawn on Monday with the imposition of a curfew in the border city of Al-Mayadeen, about 45 kilometers southeast of Deir Ezzor.

Al-Shamlan said the security campaign began in Al-Mayadeen due to the presence of wanted individuals involved in activities posing a “direct threat to public safety,” including drug trafficking, murder, and assaults on civilians.

In an official statement carried by Syrian state media, Shamlan said the operation would unfold in “phases” to ensure “maximum precision and effectiveness,” while stressing full respect for citizens’ rights and a clear distinction between suspects and innocent civilians.

He added that the campaign targets only those for whom “clear evidence exists” linking them to the listed crimes.

Local sources in Deir Ezzor told Asharq Al-Awsat that the security situation in eastern Syria remains highly complex, as internal security forces and the Ministry of Defense face mounting challenges in asserting control.

A key obstacle, they said, is the entrenched tribal structure in the region. Damascus has relied on a decentralized military presence, with local groups affiliated with security and defense institutions tasked with managing the area.

However, many of these recruits are former members of militias previously aligned with the Syrian regime, Iran, or Russia - a legacy that has fueled public resentment.

Several individuals have been dismissed from the public security force in recent weeks following accusations of abuses and violations against civilians.