In the fall of 2018, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated inside the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul. With harsh words against Riyadh, Turkish President Erdogan promised the enlightenment and initiated an almost four-year ice age with the Saudis. With today’s visit to Crown Prince bin Salman in the port city of Jeddah, he is launching a new beginning. The journalist Thomas Seibert says in Istanbul that Erdogan will still have to explain the about-face to his electorate.
SRF News: What is Erdogan’s goal with his visit to Saudi Arabia?
Thomas Seibert: The visit is intended to end the ice age between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Erdogan hopes to invest billions in Turkey from the new start with Riyadh. He needs money for the crisis-ridden Turkish economy, and elections are coming up in a year. Saudi Arabia boycotted Turkish imports over Turkey’s position in the Khashoggi murder. This should stop now. Politically, Erdogan promises Turkey to take another step out of regional isolation.
At the time, Erdogan indirectly linked the Saudi crown prince to the murder of journalist Khashoggi. Is that now forgiven and forgotten?
That is forgiven and forgotten. Turkey dropped its own criminal case against the alleged Saudi killers of Khashoggi in early April. That was the biggest hurdle in the rapprochement between the countries. So Turkey has practically closed the file and now wants to leave the investigation of the case to the Saudi authorities. This cleared the way for Erdogan’s current visit to Saudi Arabia.
Is the clarification of the Khashoggi case falling by the wayside?
At least that’s what many human rights activists and observers fear. Actually nobody believes that the Saudis could be interested in an honest investigation of the case. Erdogan’s about-face also contradicts his earlier statements that the Turkish judiciary should hold the perpetrators accountable. But there is an old saying in Turkish politics: Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. Erdogan adapts to new constraints.
Legend:
At the 2018 G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan walked past Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and didn’t look at him.
key stone
What else unites the countries apart from wanting to forget the Khashoggi murder?
Both Erdogan and the Crown Prince have a very difficult relationship with the United States and President Joe Biden. He described both as autocrats and keeps them at arm’s length. This anti-Americanism also means that Erdogan and the crown prince want to work more closely together again in the region. Erdogan has already made peace with another important country in the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates, and has already visited there. So today’s visit to the Saudis closes this chapter.
What can Erdogan achieve for Turkey in Saudi Arabia?
It’s about money and a new political start, which could also make Turkey more capable of acting in the region. Together with the UAE, for example, Erdogan could take a fresh approach to the Syrian conflict. Erdogan now has to explain the about-face to his voters, who at the time were very appalled by the Khashoggi murder. But there is still time before the elections. And Erdogan has proven time and time again that he can turn on his heel when it suits him. This time he tries again.
The interview was conducted by Claudia Weber.