^{Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Photo}

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the Arab League summit in Cairo on Tuesday, September 10th. This marks a key moment in Ankara’s ongoing efforts to mend ties with regional neighbours after relations were strained by the Arab Spring, Middle East Eye reports on September 9th.

Fidan’s attendance is significant. It has been more than 13 years since a Turkish foreign minister last participated in an Arab League summit.

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During the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Ankara and several regional neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Syria, and Egypt, found themselves at odds. This led to strained relations.

The Arab League has often criticized Turkey’s actions in the region, especially its military operations in Syria, Libya, and Somalia.

As intelligence chief, Fidan launched a normalization policy in 2020. He brokered agreements with the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic ties, focusing on long-term benefits like regional cooperation and trade.

Since assuming the role of foreign minister last year, Fidan has continued working to repair relations with Arab countries, including Syria, which regained full membership in the organization last year.

A source familiar with Arab League summit protocols told Middle East Eye that Turkey’s participation required the consent of all member states, including Syria. Despite recent unsuccessful normalization talks, Damascus seemed to accept Fidan’s presence at the summit.

Fidan’s involvement in the summit comes shortly after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s visit to Turkey last week, his first in 12 years, as part of efforts to fully restore bilateral ties.

Middle East Eye and agencies