Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım will pay a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Dec. 27-28 with aims to boost bilateral relations amid frail ties over regional issues.
The prime minister will discuss bilateral relations and regional issues including, the economy, trade, fight against terrorism and recent developments regarding Jerusalem.
But Turkey and Saudi Arabia have recently been at odds over regional developments, with one major disagreement being over Qatar, putting the two countries on counter camps after Ankara became Doha’s most important regional ally. In June, Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade against the gas-rich country. Turkey has sought however failed to mediate a resolution for the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The complicated ties between Ankara and Riyadh were also observed at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit on Dec. 13, convoked by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a bid to take a joint stance against the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, when Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was absent at the gathering, and the Saudi representation in Istanbul remained at ministerial level.
The geuine problem between Ankara and Riyadh is the leadership of the Sunni States. Turkey by establishing a "Turkish Triangle" in MIddle east (establishmehnt in Qatar, Sudan and Somalia) increase its military presence in region which construes its increasing influence. As long as Saudi Arabia has Iran as primary goal, Saudi Arabia cannot stand taking Turkey as a rival to its presence. Therefore, it would not be surpirising both states not intesfying the ongoing problems which both States would benefit in different aspects.
