2024-02-21 14:21:18
After the visit made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Cairo, and before another scheduled visit by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Ankara, the spotlight has become largely focused on one of the most prominent controversial files between them, which is the Muslim Brotherhood.
While Arab media outlets published during the past two days reports stating that Ankara “withdrew the citizenship” of the group’s acting guide, Mahmoud Hussein, and informed him of the need to leave the country, no official comment was issued confirming that this measure had actually been taken. So what’s the story? How true are the widely circulated reports?
Hussein is considered one of the most prominent leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, and he assumed the position of acting guide of the group after the death of Ibrahim Mounir in the British capital, London, in December 2022.
Although he is not the only one who has resided on Turkish soil for many years, the “reports of withdrawal of citizenship” put his name as a point that would give an indication of what the group will be like in Turkey after the “historic” rapprochement between Erdogan and Sisi.
Have you already revoked your citizenship?
An Egyptian court banned the group’s activity and froze its funds, before Cairo declared in December 2013 that the Muslim Brotherhood was a “terrorist organization,” four months after the arrest of its guide, Mohamed Badie.
However, Turkey does not classify the group itself as a “terrorist” organization, and former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu previously considered it a “political movement.”
“Turkish foreign policy is not based on individuals or ideologies,” he said in April 2021.
In an interview with Al-Hurra website, Medhat Al-Haddad, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Shura Council, denied reports that Hussein’s citizenship was withdrawn after the Turkish president’s return from Egypt, despite his talk about “a (technical) system error that occurred a month and a half ago.”
The “error” resulted in the non-appearance of the data of the group’s acting general guide, along with his wife and family members, while the process of restoring it is currently underway, Al-Haddad added, stressing the idea that “what happened is a mistake.”
The aforementioned information intersects with others published by the Turkish writer, Elif Çakir, in the newspaper “appointmentOn Wednesday, after she said she met someone close to Hussein who told her he had become a Turkish citizen five years ago, by purchasing real estate.
Two months ago, “the civil registry office contacted him and told him that his citizenship had been revoked,” after which the governing authorities were informed of his situation, and he was told that “there was an error and it would be corrected,” said author Çakir.
She added: “There has been no development now,” before pointing out that “government officials met with Hussein and informed him that his file was with President Erdogan, and that his citizenship would be restored.”
Hussein had come to Turkey “two days before Sisi’s coup (July 2013) and remained in our country after that,” according to the Turkish writer.
She explains that the person close to him stated that “there are currently 30,000 Egyptians in our country who fled from Sisi and came to our country.”
“Warnings and confirmations”
The Muslim Brotherhood and its members inside Turkey are not considered the only problematic file between Turkey and Egypt in the period that followed Sisi’s rule. Rather, other thorny files related to the Libyan arena and eastern Mediterranean gas are added to it.
However, the situation of the “group” at the present time and in the future is being looked at with interest, as the new Turkish way of dealing with it will be part of the progress in relations between Ankara and Cairo.
Turkish political analyst, Yusuf Katiboglu, explains that Egyptian-Turkish relations began “with a new page with the page of disagreements closed, although some thorny issues remain that have not been finally decided.”
The editor-in-chief of the Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper, Ashraf Al-Ashry, adds that “Egyptian-Turkish relations are now witnessing a positive boom.”
He told Al-Hurra website, “Erdogan’s visit included discussing controversial issues and differences, especially with regard to the Brotherhood, media platforms, and some personalities.”
It seems clear after Erdogan’s recent visit to Cairo, and the positive statements that followed, that there is a “common desire to open channels of dialogue and reach satisfactory solutions, while understanding the point of view of both parties,” according to what Katepoglu believes in his interview with the Al-Hurra website.
He explains that “the Brotherhood is a truly thorny issue,” and that Turkey “does not criminalize thought and does not classify it as terrorist,” and therefore “it will not and has not extradited any member of it or any other Egyptian dissident who abides by Turkish laws.”
However, the Turkish political analyst points out that “Ankara sent important warnings to the Egyptian brothers about the political opposition, whether the Brotherhood or others.”
The content of these warnings stated: “Do not use Turkey as a platform to attack Egypt, its sovereignty, and its state, because that will harm the growing interests and the new page that is now being developed.”
In turn, the editor-in-chief of the Egyptian newspaper said, “Cairo has received many assurances from Turkey that it will deal with the Brotherhood file gradually, and that the matter will take some time.”
Al-Ashry adds: “The matter began with Mahmoud Hussein withdrawing his nationality,” he says, and “there is another improvement in the level of scheduling meetings for the competent agencies to discuss the possibility of extraditing some wanted persons.”
“Goodwill steps”
The two leaders (Erdogan and Sisi) agreed in Cairo that the Egyptian President would visit Turkey next April. This came after they signed memorandums of understanding and the joint declaration to reconfigure the meetings of the Strategic Cooperation Council between Egypt and Turkey.
Speaking to reporters after his return from Cairo, Erdogan indicated that he discussed with Sisi the Turkish-Egyptian relations that have gained momentum during the recent period in all fields, including the military and defense industry.
Al-Sisi said before him that the relations between the two countries during the years of estrangement witnessed continued communication at the popular level, and also witnessed a growth in trade and investment relations during that period.
Although the two leaders did not address the problematic issues between them in statements, observers from the two countries indicate that Ankara and Cairo are in the process of forming specialized committees to follow up on issues, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Libya, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Mounir Adeeb, an expert on Islamic movements, believes that “the long period of rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey was due to the latter’s refusal to lift the cover on the group.”
After the political transformations that occurred in the region, both countries accelerated their steps, while Turkey tended to “abandon a little those it had previously held on to,” as Adeeb tells the Al-Hurra website.
He added: “It also lifted the lid on the movement’s leaders or instructed them to leave, without directly criticizing the Egyptian government or the media owned by it.”
For his part, the analyst Katiboglu says, “The deep-rooted historical relations and geopolitical changes require Egypt and Turkey to put aside controversial files and pay attention to common files and mutual interests.”
He added, “Some of the Egyptian opposition members moved to other countries, and others adhered to Turkish requests not to use the country as a platform to attack Egypt.”
On the other hand, “Egypt also pledged that there would be no attack by its media on Turkey and its President Erdogan or on internal affairs,” according to what the Turkish analyst said.
He continues: “Relations are mutual and built on mutual commitment, and it cannot be said that Turkey has been subjected to pressure to hand over figures demanded by Egypt only because they belong to the Brotherhood.”
Katiboglu explains that “the issue of withdrawing nationalities is subject in itself to Turkish laws, and that the law determines the mechanism for granting and withdrawing them.”
He added: “The government’s point of view confirms that there cannot be any politicization of any laws, whether stripping a Turkish or Arab citizen of citizenship without this being based on a specific law.”
“Interests at the forefront”
Before Erdogan’s visit, Ankara and Cairo worked to exchange signs of rapprochement, including Sisi shaking hands with Erdogan in Qatar in November 2022, on the sidelines of the World Cup.
Late last year, Egypt and Turkey announced the re-exchange of ambassadors, as a step towards improving relations and resolving the disputes that have multiplied and developed over the past few years.
These steps came after a series of “exploratory” meetings held by officials in the foreign affairs of the two countries.
Erdogan in Egypt.. “Interests reconcile”
After years of estrangement and disputes that extended from Libya to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Muslim Brotherhood (classified as a terrorist group in Egypt), it seems that Cairo and Ankara have decided to avoid these disputes, even if they are not resolved finally, in order to search for files that will bring the two countries the maximum benefit, both economically. Or politically or even militarily.
Al-Ahram newspaper’s editor-in-chief Al-Ashry says, “The Turkish side promised to make great efforts before Sisi’s visit to fully address the impurities related to the Brotherhood.”
He added: “From now until Sisi’s visit, there will be solutions to end the file, and we may see a complete ban on their activities and representatives, considering that this is a condition under which Cairo has obtained many adequate guarantees and assurances.”
Egyptian expert Adeeb explains, “Turkey still refuses to hand over the leadership, as Egypt hopes, soon or far.”
It is believed that “judicial, judicial and specialized committees have been formed to discuss and study these problematic files,” and that “withdrawing citizenship from Hussein, Ankara may want to confirm that it has sincere intentions in dealing with the important file.”
Political analyst Katiboglu refers to this when he talks about “forming committees to open the doors of dialogue and reach satisfactory solutions, whether regarding the Egyptian opposition or Libya.”
He emphasizes by saying: “There are no permanent enmities and no friendships. Language is mutual interests, common benefits and mutual respect.”
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