Turkey and Qatar risk losing regional rivalry – AFP



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Turkey and Qatar risk losing geopolitical rivalry in the Middle East and North Africa due to turmoil in Libya and Sudan, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expand their influence, according to badysts, Agence France Presse reported on Friday.

According to badysts, two competing blocks – Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar and Turkey – are seeking to strengthen their influence in the region.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have deteriorated since the coming into power of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia condemned Turkey's support for the Muslim Brotherhood and accused Turkey, Iran and Qatar of being "an axis of evil" in the Middle East. Turkey's support to Qatar in 2017 against a boycott led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt has made the Middle East rivalry even more visible.

According to Karim Bitar, expert of the French Institute of International and Strategic Affairs, Sudan and Libya have become confrontational fields between rival powers of the Gulf. The camps are "engaged in a military struggle in Libya" and "economic and financial" in Sudan, said Bitar quoted by AFP.

The overthrow of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in April is seen as a blow to Doha and Ankara, which have garnered many commercial benefits, as well as access to the Red Sea via the Suakin port island under the regime. Bashir.

"As Sudan enters a new chapter in its history after Bashir's dismissal, it ends a political Islam project that has failed for three decades. This Islamist project has resulted in several crises in Sudan, divided the country and led to civil wars that still have an impact, "said badyst Ghbadan Ibrahim last month.

"Doha lost its influence in Sudan with the revolution," said Andreas Krieg, a professor at King & # 39; s College London, quoted by AFP. According to Krieg, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are trying to consolidate their personal relations with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan's new military council, and to "consolidate long-term control" in the country.

After a meeting on Thursday in Jeddah with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of Sudan's military council, announced on Friday in a foreign policy statement his support for all threats, adding that Sudan would continue to Sending troops to support the Saudi coalition in Yemen, AFP said.

"There is a struggle for power and influence in Sudan between supporters of the Qatar-Turkey camp and those who are willing to join the Saudi-UAE camp," said Mathieu Guidere, a professor at the University of Western Sudan. University of Paris and specialist in Arab politics. , told AFP.

Another fight between two blocks is taking place in Libya, where Doha may also lose influence, AFP said.

In Libya, Turkey and Qatar support the Tripoli government in the east of the country, while Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt support Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the country. 39 Libyan National Army (LNA) in eastern Libya, formed against the organization recognized by the West Libyan government.

Haftar's forces launched an offensive against Tripoli in April, but it was blocked by forces loyal to the capital in the suburbs of the capital. The LNA has repeatedly accused Turkey of supporting Islamist factions in the west of the country. Haftar has threatened this week to attack any Turkish ship moored in western Libya in order to deliver arms to the UN-backed government.

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