Abstract:

Although the diplomatic relations between Turkey and Egypt, which have a common historical and cultural memory, began in 1925, it is clear that considering the economic relations between the two countries established in the second half of the 1950s, the economic relations were not seen as a long-term determining element for both sides. In the 1970s, even if the Cold War had to enter the mild phase of Enver Sedat's leadership in Egypt, the liberal policies began to be followed and the political relations were also closer in economic relations, but especially in bilateral trade relations, the drive was only captured in the 1980s with the process of opening out in Turkey. While the end of the Cold War has found that the cohesion in foreign policy statements has been reflected in economic relations, the actual jump has been possible with the Free Trade Agreement signed in 2005, and especially with the investments that Turkey has made in Egypt. Although the economic relations between the two countries were affected by the outcome of political downturn caused by the revolution in Egypt and the subsequent military coup, it is not seen to fall below the level captured after 2005.  In this context, the study is seeking a response to how and in what direction the relations between Turkey and Egypt are affected by the mutual interactions of economic and political spheres. In this framework, the study on mutual trade data and direct investment relations emphasizes the determining effect of economic rationality in Ankara-Kahira relations.

Abstract:

Given the fact that diplomatic ties between Turkey and Egypt, which have common historical and cultural memory, began in 1925, it is observed that economic ties have not been a determinant element for both parties for long years as the commercial ties just seemed to commence in the second half of 1950s A rapprochement in economic ties, in parallel with the political ones, started to emerge following both the Cold War’s  detente policies seen through the 1970 and the liberal policies adopted under the administration of Anwar Sadat, but a momentum in commercial ties could only be gained in 1980s with Turkey’s international expansion. Even though the foreign policy rhetoric seemed to resemble in both parties upon the ending of the Cold War, the main leap could be possible with the signing of Free Trade Agreement in 2005 and especially the overall investment of Turkey in Egypt. It is now observed that the economic ties established between the two countries have not gone below the level reached after 2005 despite being affected by political turmoil led by the revolution and the cuop d’etat afterwards in Egypt. In this context, this article tries to answer the question in what way and to what extent and Turkey and Egypt relations have been affected due to the interaction of the economic and political areas. Within this frame the syudy, allocating a broad place for the data as to the commercial and direct investment relations, stresses on the determinant effect of economic relations between Ankara and Cario.

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