Turkey eyes Egypt as new regional ally
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says new power alliance will be 'a true axis of democracy,' claims Israel can't blame anyone but itself for isolation
New Middle East, the Turkish version – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday presented his country's vision for regional dominance and strategic cooperation with Egypt, which will overshadow Turkey's former allies Israel and Syria.
Shortly before leaving en route to the United States, Davutoglu told the New York Times that Israel was fully responsible for the deteriorating relations with Turkey.
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According to the Turkish foreign minister, “Nobody can blame Turkey or any other country in the region for (Israel's) isolation.
Democratic-Strategic axis. Erdogan in Cairo (Photo: EPA)
“It was Israel and the government’s decision to isolate themselves. And they will be isolated even more if they continue this policy of rejecting any proposal,” he said.
Addressing the recent changed in the Middle East, Davutoglu claimed that his country was “right at the center of everything.”
The foreign minister predicted a future alliance between Turkey and Egypt, which he said could form a new axis of power in light of the diminishing American influence in the region.
“This is what we want,” Mr. Davutoglu said, adding that “this will not be an axis against any other country — not Israel, not Iran, not any other country, but this will be an axis of democracy, real democracy.”
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