Türkiye Arrests Brotherhood Journalists in Attempt to Accelerate Normalization with Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AFP)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AFP)
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Türkiye Arrests Brotherhood Journalists in Attempt to Accelerate Normalization with Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AFP)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AFP)

The Turkish authorities arrested 34 Muslim Brotherhood members who called for protests in Egypt on Nov. 11, a step considered a seriousness in the process of normalizing relations with Cairo despite the slow progress.

Several media outlets and social media pages affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood organization in Türkiye revealed that the Turkish authorities arrested 34 members who called for protests to undermine stability and spread chaos during the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh.

The detainees were included on the lists of deportations over the danger they pose to public security under what is known as the "G78" code.

They were preparing to launch a new Telegram channel to incite protests, acts of violence, and chaos in Egypt.

They are also associated with other channels that the Brotherhood established outside Türkiye in the past few weeks, including the "People" and "Freedom" channels, to avoid the restrictions in Türkiye after several TV presenters were banned from resuming their work.

Earlier, journalist and former editor-in-chief of Al-Sharq channel Hossam al-Ghamry announced on Twitter that Turkish security arrested him at his house and he may be deported, without determining the destination.

Ghamry has recently called for protests and inciting chaos in Egypt on Nov. 11 and promoted violent protests against President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi after the Egyptian Super Cup match between al-Ahly and Zamalek.

However, several Brotherhood-affiliated social media pages indicated that he was arrested for violating the conditions of his residency, and several sources ruled out that he would be deported.

Before his arrest, Ghamry revealed that Egyptian National Security detained his eldest son, Youssef, for calling for participation in the alleged protests on Nov. 11.

Al-Sharq suspended the "Vision" program hosted by Ghamry, at the request of the Turkish authorities. He was banned from any media appearances again from Istanbul because he did not comply with the instructions to halt any incitement against leaders in Egypt. He, however, continued to broadcast on social media.

Within the context of its rapprochement with Cairo, Ankara aimed to stop the intense Brotherhood attack following the overthrow of the rule of the late president, Mohamed Morsi.

Türkiye suspended the programs of several media hosts, including Moataz Matar, Mohamed Nasser, Hamza Zoba, and artist Hisham Abdallah, warning them against violating its instructions. It then decided to stop broadcasting the "Mekameleen" channel from Istanbul, which moved to London.

However, Egypt does not believe this step is sufficient or fully meets its demands, especially since Türkiye still refuses to hand over several leaders and fugitives involved in terrorism and interference in the affairs of regional countries.

Some activists within the Muslim Brotherhood and the organization's loyalists in Istanbul linked Ghamry's arrest to the recent change in Turkish policy towards Egypt.

They believe "the opposition abroad and their channels are now being sacrificed because relations between the two countries are not classified as either permanent enmity or constant friendship."

They condemned the absence of any project for the Brotherhood and the conflicts within the organization's ranks that were reflected in rifts that led to several divisions.

Talks between Egypt and Türkiye are ongoingat the level of the intelligence services, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated in statements last month, noting that Ankara hopes that dialogue will be at higher levels.

Cairo does not seem convinced that Ankara is changing its policies, whether concerning embracing the Muslim Brotherhood leaders, refusing to extradite the wanted persons, or stopping interference in the affairs of regional countries.

It accuses Türkiye of continuing its involvement in Libyan affairs by supporting the outgoing unity government, which contradicts international efforts to achieve stability and hold presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry announced that exploratory talks with Türkiye have not been resumed because there have been no changes in Ankara's practices.

Shoukry explained during a televised interview that the matter is again due to the need to adhere to international standards and rules, pointing out that Cairo is concerned about the presence of foreign forces in Libya.

Last Tuesday, Türkiye, which maintains thousands of its forces and Syrian mercenaries and has land, sea, and air bases in Libya, signed two agreements with the unity government led by Abdulhamid Dbeibeh.

The first agreement aims to raise the efficiency of military aviation capabilities in Libya with the help of Turkish expertise in this field. The second included the implementation of protocols for the security agreement signed by the Presidential Council of the former Government of National Accord (GNA) in 2019.

Earlier, Libya and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of (hydrocarbon) resources to maintain the stability and security of Libya.

The MoU was signed between Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush and her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.



UK Foreign Secretary Visits Syria, Renewing Ties After 14 Years of Conflict

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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UK Foreign Secretary Visits Syria, Renewing Ties After 14 Years of Conflict

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the Syrian capital Damascus on July 5, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met in Damascus on Saturday with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the restoration of relations after 14 years of tension during Syria's conflict and Assad family rule.

Syria has been improving relations with Western countries following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December in an offensive led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.

Al-Sharaa’s office said Lammy and the president discussed mutual relations and ways of boosting cooperation and the latest regional and international developments. Lammy later met his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani, state media reported.

A statement issued by Britain's foreign office said the visit showed London's commitment to support Syria as the new government seeks to rebuild the country's economy, deliver an inclusive political transition and forge a path to justice for the victims of the Assad government.

It added that there will be new UK funding to assist with the removal of Assad-era chemical weapons and provide urgent humanitarian assistance in Syria, to bolster UK and Middle East security and tackle irregular migration. The statement said the British government wants to ensure that the ISIS group's territorial defeat “endures, and they can never resurge.”

ISIS once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq, where it planned attacks worldwide. It was defeated in Syria in March 2019 when the extremists lost the last sliver of land they once controlled.

The statement said Britain's support for Syria is set to continue, with the additional 94.5 million pounds ($129 million) package announced Saturday. It will provide urgent humanitarian aid to Syrians, support Syria’s longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods, and support countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region.

This handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on July 5, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) receiving British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the presidential palace in Baabda. (Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

In April, the British government lifted sanctions against a dozen Syrian entities, including government departments and media outlets, to help the country rebuild after Assad's ouster. Weeks earlier, the UK had dropped sanctions against two dozen Syrian businesses, mostly banks and oil companies.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending many American economic sanctions on Syria, following through on a promise he made to al-Sharaa.

Syria’s new leaders have been struggling to rebuild the country’s decimated economy and infrastructure after nearly 14 years of civil war that has killed half a million people. In recent months, al-Sharaa visited oil-rich regional countries and France in May in his first visit to the Europe Union.

Also on Saturday, Lammy met in Beirut with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and they discussed the situation along the Lebanon-Israel border following the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

A statement issued by Aoun's office, quoted the Lebanese leader as telling Lammy that Beirut plans to raise the number of Lebanese troops along the border with Israel to 10,000. Aoun added that the only armed sides on the Lebanese side of the border will be Lebanon's national army and UN peacekeepers.