Arab League chief says Turkey’s regional interference will not lead to ‘good end’

CAIRO – 4 October 2020: Turkey has engaged in serious conflicts with big regional parties and has intervened against Egypt, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said, adding that this will not lead to a “good end”.

In remarks to TV presenter Ahmed Moussa on Sada El Balad, Aboul Gheit said Turkey has intervened militarily in Syria, Iraq and Libya, as well as in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Turkish regime has also clashed with Greece and Cyprus over gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean, Aboul Gheit said, noting that Italy has now took a similar stance to that of France against the Turkish regime.

The Arab League head said Turkey now resembles Iran, in terms of blatant interference in other Arab countries’ affairs.

"I monitor unprecedented confusion in the region, which faces great threats and challenges, especially the Turkish and Iranian interventions," he noted.

In this regard, Aboul Gheit accused Iran of preventing the Houthi group from reaching any comprehensive settlement in Yemen, saying the Houthis' decision is linked with Tehran.

Palestinian cause

Concerning the Palestinian cause, Aboul Gheit stressed that establishing the Palestinian state is inevitable, urging Palestinians not to give up hope. He called on the Palestinian factions to end divisions and place the country's higher interests above any other consideration.

He stressed that the Arab League has been and will always support the Palestinian cause, expressing amazement at some claims that he is advocating the US peace plan.

He said the Arab League as well as the Palestinian leadership and people are totally against this plan that takes everything from the Palestinians and gave them nothing in return.

We have responsibilities and obligations towards the Palestinian cause but at the same time we have a responsibility to preserve the pan-Arab body because we are now in a tragic situation, he said.

Aboul Gheit stressed that the Arab countries did not walk away from the Palestinian cause.

He expressed regret over the current stance of the US administration towards the Palestinian issue, saying the current administration turned a blind eye to the international law by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and giving Israel green light to capture more Palestinian territories.

Water rights

The secretary-general asserted the full Arab support to Egypt and Sudan in their negotiations with Ethiopia on its Renaissance Dam.

The water resources of the Nile River are at the core of Arab national security, not just the national security of the two countries, the AL chief said.

The same applies to the water rights of Iraq and Syria in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, he added.