The debate surrounding relations between Turkey and Egypt is on the rise largely because of a series of political maneuverings and actions that have taken place in the last few weeks. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman’s new policies and efforts to normalize relations between the two countries were the main reason behind the intensification of the current debate. Turkish-Egyptian relations have been in crisis since the military coup that toppled the first democratically-elected president and government to come to power in nearly 40 years. Defense minister Abdul Fattah El-Sisi, the leader of the military coup, used repressive methods not only against the members/followers of the Muslim Brotherhood but also against opposition groups who protested against the coup. Thousands of people were killed by the police, soldiers, and paramilitary forces, while thousands more were arrested. Since the coup, Sisi has securitized against the Brotherhood society and declared it a terrorist organization.
[Politics Today, May 12, 2016]
