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world news Diaranson 16 Februari 2022

Turkey’s flag flies high as Erdogan’s Dubai trip marks reset

(AP) — Turkey’s red flag illu- Expo site to celebrate Turkish cul-
minated buildings in the United ture and history at the World’s Fair.
Arab Emirates and flew high in a Visitors at Expo were given Turkey’s
ceremony in Dubai on Tuesday as red and white crescent-and-star flag
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to wave as Erdogan toured Turkey’s
spent a second day in the once ad- pavilion following a Turkish musical
versarial country mending rela- performance under the fair’s main
tions and deepening commercial dome. Standing before a select audi-
ties. ence, Erdogan praised the UAE for
being the first Arab country to host
The new page in UAE-Turkey rela- the World’s Fair.
tions points to a wider reset in re-
gional strategies following a decade It’s a stark pivot from only a year or
of strained ties and proxy wars that so ago, when it was anyone’s guess
played out between the two coun- whether Turkey would even have a
tries. Turkey’s support for Islamists presence at Dubai’s Expo. As rela-
during Arab Spring protests roiled tions soured, prominent officials and
Abu Dhabi’s leadership, which views government supporters from both
the Muslim Brotherhood and its off- sides traded jabs and insults over so-
shoots as an existential threat to its cial media and in state-aligned press
style of autocratic hereditary rule. So outlets.
deep was their animosity that Ankara back last year of an unprecedented the form of more Gulf Arab tourists.
suspects the UAE backed a network Now, these same social media ac- and largely unsuccessful embargo of Dubai’s low-cost carrier flydubai an-
behind the failed coup targeting Er- counts are tweeting under hashtags Qatar over its support for Islamists in nouncing Tuesday it would expand
dogan in 2016. hailing the renewed ties, sharing vid- the region and its ties with Iran. Qa- the number of flights to Istanbul
eos of Emiratis speaking Turkish and tar was supported by Turkey, which from seven to 12 per week.
In other signs of a political shift, Er- championing a performance in Turk- beefed up its troop presence in the
dogan has plans to visit Saudi Arabia ish by the Emirates’ most famous country. Like Iran, Turkey rushed to Speaking to investors and business
sometime in February following a singer Hussain al-Jasmi at the piano. support the tiny but wealthy gas-rich people in Abu Dhabi, Erdogan said
deep strain in ties and will welcome The world’s tallest tower, Dubai’s Gulf Arab state with essential imports Turkey and the UAE had a “com-
Israel’s president next month. Burj Khalifa, lit up in the colors of the in the first days of the economic and mon will” to increase trade and in-
The pomp and Turkish flag-waving Turkish flag to mark Erdogan’s visit political boycott. vestments, following the signing of
cavalry that greeted Erdogan a day while commuters on Dubai’s main The rebuilding of ties with Turkey 13 agreements Monday. Erdogan said
earlier for his meeting with Abu Dha- highway drove under a sign praising signals a wider UAE strategy to use the UAE was Turkey’s top trade part-
bi Crown Prince and de facto leader, the bilateral ties. economic cooperation, and its oil ner in the Gulf.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Senior Emirati diplomat and advi- wealth, as a main tool to recalibrate
Nahyan, continued on in Dubai, sor, Anwar Gargash, noted on Twitter its foreign policy posture, particu- The UAE had agreed in January to a
which positions itself as the UAE’s that the warm reception Erdogan has larly in the face of continued tensions currency swap deal of nearly $5 bil-
globally alluring tourism and finance received is a result of the “fruits of the with Iran and a new administration lion to boost Turkey’s depleted for-
hub. hard work undertaken by the UAE to in Washington seeking to re-enter eign exchange reserves. During the
promote an agenda of stability and nuclear talks. Abu Dhabi crown prince’s break-
Erdogan was greeted by Dubai ruler prosperity.” through visit to Turkey last fall, Emi-
and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh For Erdogan, it comes as Turkey faces rati officials said the UAE would set
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum The reset in ties was undertaken by an economic crisis and a depreciat- aside $10 billion for investment in
at the emirate’s multibillion-dollar the UAE following a Saudi-led roll- ing currency. Help could come in Turkey.

Some troops near Ukraine leaving; dialogue to go on

(AP) — Russian President West tensions in decades, nied having such plans, de- Speaking after meeting with eryone knows that very well,”
Vladimir Putin said Tues- Washington and its European manding that the West keep German Chancellor Olaf Putin retorted that Moscow
day he welcomed a securi- allies remained cautious, say- Ukraine and other ex-Soviet Scholz, Putin said the West will not be assuaged by such
ty dialogue with the West ing they want to see evidence nations out of the alliance, agreed to discuss a ban on assurances.
as his military reported of a Russian pullback. halt weapons deployments missile deployment to Eu-
pulling back some of its near Russian borders, and rope, restrictions on military He went on to argue NATO
troops near Ukraine — The U.S. and NATO have roll back forces from Eastern drills and other confidence- expansion violates the prin-
signals that may indicate warned that over 130,000 Europe. building measures — issues ciple of the indivisibility of
the Kremlin has opted for Russian forces massed near that Moscow had put on the security enshrined in inter-
a diplomatic path for now Ukraine could invade at any The U.S. and its allies have table years ago. national documents.
despite Western fears of time, and they sent troops roundly rejected the de- Scholz also said diplomatic
an imminent Russian in- and military supplies to shore mands, but offered Russia He said Russia is open to options are “far from ex-
vasion of its neighbor. up NATO members in East- to engage in talks on ways to discuss “some of those ele- hausted,” and praised the an-
ern Europe. Russia has de- bolster security in Europe. ments,” but added that it nouncement of a troop with-
Putin said he doesn’t want would only do that “in com- drawal as a “good signal,”
war and would rely on ne- plex with the main issues that adding: “We hope that more
gotiations as he presses his are of primary importance for will follow.”
demand for the West to halt us.”
Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. The Russian Defense Min-
At the same time, he didn’t Asked if there could be a war istry released images of tanks
commit to a full pullback of in Europe, Putin said Rus- and howitzers rolling onto
troops, saying Russia’s next sia doesn’t want it but said railway platforms and more
moves in the standoff will Ukraine’s bid to join NATO tanks rolling across snowy
depend on how the situation posed a major security threat fields. It did not disclose
evolves. to his country. where or when the images
were taken, or where the
While the overtures soothed While Scholz reiterated that vehicles were headed, other
global markets that have been NATO’s eastward expansion than “to places of permanent
on edge amid the worst East- “is not on the agenda -- ev- deployment.”