TURKEY - EGYPT STRATEGIC DIALOGUE
“Thinking Diplomacy: New World New Horizons“When we look at the main trends in the world, global competition in the age of new economy based on "information and knowledge-based products" following "soil and machinery" is developing through "micro-nationalism", "integration" and "unpredictability’’. Challenges that determine the new nature of life and state; such as " crisis in resource and sharing ", unsustainability of production-consumption-growth formula, purge of the middle class with Chinese leverage, energy, water, and food insecurity, transition to the 4th dimension, liquidation of human resources in the workforce, transition from hard power to soft and smart power on the basis of the very changing state nature and anticipation management, can be formed as the basic references.
Within all these fundamental parameters, the transformations in technology are prone to change the whole human life and nature by developing with artificial intelligence, virtual/enhanced reality and mobility centered. It is obvious that the concepts of "Industry 4.0" and "Society 5.0" are important topics for managing the transformation of the world within the dimensions of industry and society. Another contributive factor is the turbulence that China creates as it begins to become intensively dominant on the world stage day to day. The New Silk Road project, "One Belt and One Road Initiative"; is shaped as a global integration project involving more than hundred countries, both on land and at sea, permanently changing the distribution of economic shares. In countries with no middle class, authoritarian regimes or chaos stands as two options in the fore-seeable future. How to make the division of labor in terms of regional and global security and how to share the costs is also a point of discussion in the coming period.
The development of new alliances on security can be read from the risks and the initiatives undertaken by dominant countries. The quality of the concepts of property and power, and the business model change historically. The future of the EU with the "Failure in Success" syndrome will be determined by the results of the polarization which revived in the West after the Brexit. Along with all these developments, "Ecosystem of safety" changes with the law. The "Security - Democracy" dilemma will be experienced much more after that. Because, for the democracy, it is difficult to survive in countries where the middle class is melting and security leans to a sophisticated ground. The question "Will security bring us authoritarian regimes" needs to be discussed further.
Turkey distinguishes itself with an 84-million inhabitants, growing economy and geo-strategic status in the center of Afro-Eurasia. Turkey's historical, political and cultural ties between Europe, Black Sea, Caucasus, Asia, Middle East and African countries, rising activity in the international arena, especially in the United Nations, being an important member of organizations such as NATO, OSCE and CICA and with active foreign policy, it has become an increasingly important actor on the global platform.
On the other hand; Egypt has the appearance of a country drawing the attention of the world with its strategic position in a region that connects Asia and Africa and control the Suez Canal which connects the Mediterranean to Indian Ocean, with its leading role in the Arab world, being a non-negligible actor in Africa and the Islamic world, with its population over 100 million, agriculture sector employing a third of the population thank to the Nile river, its economic potential regarding tourism and human resources, natural resources, its activity in the international organizations.
Turkey and Egypt have hundreds of years old cultural and political relations and they have numerous experiences of joint governance and unity of destiny.. In addition to the bilateral relations, both countries have cooperation in the frame of international and regional organizations such as the UN, its sub branches, OIC, D-8. Turkey and Egypt diplomatic relations are maintained at the level of Chargés d’affaires in both sides since 2013. Meanwhile, the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs and related delegations make contact on different occasions. There are 52 agreements signed by the two countries in various areas, which constitute legal basis of the relations. Both countries consider the regional problems in the same manner mostly.
However, the level of relations between Turkey and Egypt is well under the potential regarding the political affinity, populations and economic performance. That both countries have concentrated in their own regions for years have been effective at this point, in addition to the regional policies of Israel and the Western countries. Final situation which have come up after the change and transformation movements in the Middle East has led to a promising environment that can bring bilateral relations up to the required level.
Both countries share deep-rooted economic and social ties based on mutual historical heritage. Egypt is Turkey’s major commercial partner in the African continent and tere are approximately 3,500 Turkish residents in Egypt. Turkish and Egyptian businesspersons maintain close contact and continue to realize reciprocal visits. The number of Egyptian visitors to Turkey has exceeded 100,000 annually..
The trade volume between Turkey and Egypt has stayed under the existing potential, too. However, the trade volume between the countries has grow steadily since 2001; trade relations have gained momentum since 2006 and made substantial progress, with the positive atmosphere created by the Turkish - Egyptian Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which has been signed in 2005 and entered in to force in 2007.
The bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Egypt stood at 5.131 billion dollars in 2019 and trade gap weigh against Egypt was 1.536 billion dollars. The main products exported by Turkey to Egypt are crude oil derivative products, textile fiber and products, iron and steel products, various metal products and land transportation vehicles. The main products exported by Egypt to Turkey are plastic and its products, fertilizers, textile fiber and products, crude oil derivative products and organic chemical products.
Turkey and Egypt, as two main Eastern Mediterranean countries, stand in a position to control world trade and energy transition through Bosporus and Suez. Both countries have common interest in the economic, strategic, political and security fields in terms of their relations with Western Asian, Middle Eastern and OIC countries. Today, when relations of mutual dependence are gradually deepening around the world, it is crucial for the interests of both countries to increase economic, social and political interactivities and to provide peace and security regarding such factors as the necessity of improving economic relations, contributing in global energy security, struggling with smuggling and terrorism.
The growth rates of Turkey and Egypt compel both countries take each other into account further in terms of economy. For Egypt, Turkey is a sally port to Balkans and Europe. Egypt on the other hand, is a non-negligible country for Turkey in its relations with the OIC, Middle Eastern and African countries. Turkey sees Egypt as a partner with whom it has to improve its relations in the economic, political, cultural and security fields.
In addition to the interventions of foreign powers in the region, historical baggage has prevented bilateral relations to be deepened sufficiently. However, if France and Germany, which once were relentless enemies, have been able to cooperate to lay the foundations of the EU; it is crucial for Turkey and Egypt, which are neighbors via Mediterranean and the two most important countries of the Middle East, to have a broader and deeper cooperation for the sake of regional and global peace and welfare.
Both countries can develop an effective strategic cooperation to ensure sustainability of the critical long term interests. At this point, it is necessary to look at the events through a broader perspective in terms of politics, economy, diplomacy and geo-strategy. In order to bring the Turkish - Egyptian relations to an ideal point in a world system that is increasingly gaining a multidimensional appearance, Turkish and Egyptian policy makers must steer for a structure that may constitute mutual depth not only on the political and strategic grounds but in all the parameters. Also it is being deeply felt that there is an urgent necessity for collaborative works of the two countries so that the solutions for the regional issues can be found. History offers both the two countries opportunities for deepening their interdependency. In this regard, the Turkey - Egypt Strategic Dialogue, which will bring together the representatives of the related sectors in a comprehensive way that includes the strategic dimension of the relations, will play a significant role.
Main Theme
Thinking Diplomacy: New World New Horizons
Sub Themes
New Balances New Economy
New Multi-Dimensional Security Parameters in the Afro-Eurasian Region
Economic Cooperation
Transportation and Logistics
Multi-Dimensional Security and Struggle with Terrorism
Bilateral and Multilateral Capacity Building in Member Countries of the OIC
Innovation in Public Management and Technology Sharing
Academic and Cultural Cooperation opportunities
Common Regional and Global Perspectives
Primary Sectors
Public Diplomacy, Education and Language
Culture and Tourism
Construction, Construction Business and Infrastructure
Health and Health Tourism
Energy, Petro-chemistry and Investments
Logistics, Transportation and Communication
Banking and Finance (Strategic Investment Fund)
Economy and Trade
Media and Communication
Science and Technology
Brand Cities and Environment
Defence and Space Industry
STUDIES AND ACTIVITIES (DRAFT)
Method
Inductive Reasoning, Participation and Economic Deepening
Turkey - Egypt Committee of Wise Persons Meetings Workshop
Building Capacity and Ecosystem Inventory
Preparation of Research Projects and their Reports
Development of Pro-active Policy Recommendations
Round-Table Meetings/Workshops
Multilateral Workshops/Studies
Sector Workshops/Activities
Applied Interactive Modelings
Strategic Reports
Publication of sector studies as strategic reports for decision makers, private sector, media and public opinion of the two countries. Providing literature and memory support.
Media Conferences
Other Academic Studies
Strategic Reports, Books, Articles, Thesis and so on Academic Studies
Event Page
https://tasam.org/en/Etkinlik/17286/turkey_-_egypt_strategic_dialogue_
