Why Erdogan Got Over Himself and Shook Sisi’s Hand

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown accustomed to swallowing his pride over the past year, making nice with Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that he has long regarded with open contempt but now needs to bail out his country’s stricken economy. But his decision to kiss and make up with his Egyptian counterpart, General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, reflects geopolitical realities more than economic necessity.

Unlike the petrostates, Egypt cannot offer Turkey substantial investment or lines of credit: Cairo itself needs economic assistance from the Gulf Arabs, not least to cover a $16 billion external finding gap. But Sisi, who is close to the Saudi and Emirati rulers, could be useful to Erdogan in maintaining those newly mended relations. The general could also serve as an intermediary with the US, with which Erdogan frequently clashes.