Turkish and Saudi Arabian relations have been complicated for the better part of the last decade. During the Erdogan era the relationship shifted between amity and hatred; with Turkey playing a wildcard role within the wider Middle Eastern Cold War.

The relationship quickly escalated into proxy warfare beggining shortly after the Egyptian Coup d’etat that placed El Sisi in power with Turkish backed forces fighting in Libya and Syria against Saudi backed forces. Saudi Arabia has accused Turkey on the regular of a “neo-ottoman” foreign policy, an accusation of the deepest folly, and has imposed a soft trade embargo on us. Despite the now ex president Recep Tayyip Erdogan being willing to seek a raproachment in 2022 to rebuild economic relations, tensions only grew after the victory of Gadaffi in Libya presenting a setback to Turkish geopolitical interests, the tightening of relations between Saudi Arabia and our Greek rivals in the Mediterranean as well as Saudi insults against the Turkish people found raproachment to be impossible. Mansur Yavas found himself in a difficult position. Either risk public outrage and anger within the Turkish government for doing nothing, or at long last taking a stance over the issue. Yavas was often reminded by his colleague Imamoglu over the assasination of Jamal Khashoggi on Turkish soil and how much of an outrage is it for foreign agents to murder a journalist in cold blood under Turkish protection. Yavas indeed chose the latter option.

In a public statement on May 23rd 2024 Mansur Yavas would publically denounce the Saudi regime and sever economic relations with Saudi Arabia. All bilateral military and economic contracts are considered void with Turkey taking an openly hostlie stance against Riyadh. While Yavas would not take the steps to fully remove diplomatic contacts with Saudi Arabia, maintaining both embassies, Tensions between the two countries shot up to unseen heights