IntelBrief: Erdogan Makes Major Inroads in the Gulf

Bottom Line Up Front

• A thaw in relations between Türkiye and key Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accelerated with the successful July visit to the Gulf by Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• Agreements signed during the trip, particularly on defense cooperation, signaled that all six Gulf monarchies now see Ankara as a strategic partner rather than a potential threat.
• The United States’ strategic refocus toward China, coupled with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, set the environment for Erdogan’s broad welcome in the Gulf.
• A key motivator for the newly re-elected Erdogan to improve relations with the Gulf is to access some of the ample Gulf state financial reserve funds to stabilize Türkiye’s economy.