The Great Reconciliation Tour: Pragmatism, Power, and the Palestinian Predicament
What's actually happening: Erdoğan and Sisi are meeting to 'normalize' relations, with a primary focus on 'ties' and, almost as an afterthought, 'Gaza.' After years of rhetorical jabs and proxy conflicts, the two leaders are sharing pleasantries. The Daily Sabah frames this as a positive development, a mature step towards regional stability. THE CLAIM: A new era of cooperation forged on shared
interests and a common approach to regional issues, particularly the plight of Palestinians. THE EVIDENCE: Historically, Turkey under Erdoğan has positioned itself as a champion of the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement violently suppressed by Sisi following his 2013 military coup against President Mohamed Morsi (Human Rights Watch, 2014). Erdoğan publicly condemned the coup and offered asylum to
Brotherhood members, leading to a severe diplomatic freeze. Cairo retaliated, accusing Turkey of meddling in its internal affairs and supporting terrorism. The two nations even backed opposing sides in the Libyan civil war. THE CONTRADICTIONS: The idea that these two leaders are suddenly aligned on 'Gaza' is, frankly, laughable. Erdoğan’s 'support' for Palestinians has often been performative,
while Sisi's government, deeply reliant on Western aid and wary of Hamas (an offshoot of the Brotherhood), has historically maintained a tight blockade on Gaza (Amnesty International, 2017). His primary concern is Egyptian national security, not Palestinian liberation. The 'reconciliation' is less about shared humanitarian goals and more about economic necessity and external pressures as both