Turkey has signalled at the start of the new year that it wishes to come in from the cold. EPA
Turkey has signalled at the start of the new year that it wishes to come in from the cold. EPA
Turkey has signalled at the start of the new year that it wishes to come in from the cold. EPA
Turkey has signalled at the start of the new year that it wishes to come in from the cold. EPA

Is Turkey about to come in from the cold?


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The UAE and Cyprus signed a defence co-operation deal last week, a month after the UAE became a permanent observer member of the EastMed Gas Forum and two months after the Emirates and Athens agreed to broader defence co-operation. The international body, widely seen as a bulwark to Turkish influence in the Mediterranean, appears to be gaining strength.

Yet there have also been signs of an opening to Ankara. “We want to tell Turkey that we want normal relations with it that respect mutual sovereignty,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash told Sky News Arabia just before the UAE-Cyprus deal. “We don’t have any problems with Turkey.”

A few days earlier, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt announced the end of a three-and-a-half-year freeze on diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar – a move that could potentially clear the way for improved relations between Gulf states and Turkey, an ally of Doha.

A hopeful Turkey, meanwhile, has put on its flirtiest smile. After pushing each other to the brink of war last summer, Ankara and Athens are set to launch exploratory talks next week, to address conflicting maritime claims and drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Retired naval officer Cihat Yayci, the architect of Turkey's regional Blue Homeland doctrine, has warned that talks with Greece could destroy Turkey's position in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hailed the negotiations as "a harbinger of a new era", and last week hinted at a possible meeting with his Greek counterpart.

Turkey's historic rivalry with Greece has added to tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. AP
Turkey's historic rivalry with Greece has added to tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. AP

A new era may also be on the wing for Cyprus, which since a 1974 invasion by Turkish forces has been divided between the Greek-backed Republic of Cyprus, an EU member, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey. Several rounds of reunification talks have failed, most recently in 2017.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres plans to meet next month with Greek-and Turkish-Cypriot leaders, and representatives from Greece, Turkey and the UK to determine whether talks can resume. Since Ersin Tatar became TRNC president in October, Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have more strongly backed a two-state solution, as opposed to reunification.

Ankara has also been hinting at rapprochement with Egypt. Relations between the two regional powers have been frosty since 2013 saw the fall of Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood government in Cairo and Turkey’s welcoming of the extremist organisation's exiled leaders. Writing for the European Council on Foreign Relations, ECFR pan-European junior fellow Matteo Colombo urged European states to encourage Ankara-Cairo talks to help reduce tensions in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean. “They should look to build on the Turkish government’s reported outreach to its rival behind closed doors in recent weeks,” writes Mr Colombo.

There have been reports in recent weeks that Muslim Brotherhood leaders have begun leaving Turkey. Over the past month, Ankara has also sent several signals – including a comment from Mr Erdogan – that it seeks to strengthen relations with Israel. Israeli officials plan to meet Turkish counterparts in private, but have expressed concerns that Ankara’s newly friendly stance is mainly about winning points with incoming US president Joe Biden.

Tensions between Turkey and some of its fellow Nato allies have been high in the Mediterranean. Reuters
Tensions between Turkey and some of its fellow Nato allies have been high in the Mediterranean. Reuters

Israel has kept Turkey at arm's length thus far, and will surely avoid any move that might undermine its increased co-operation with Greece and Cyprus. On Monday, Ynet News, an Israeli outlet, reported that for normalisation to occur, Israel has said it would require Turkey to shutter its Hamas branch.

One of the main reasons Mr Erdogan has shifted to a more conciliatory tone in recent weeks is, of course, money. He hopes to attract foreign capital to boost Turkey's troubled economy, which in the days ahead must overcome US sanctions and, potentially, harsher EU sanctions. Last week, he said Turkey is ready to put its frayed relations with the EU back on track.

The Ides of March may decide Turkey’s fate, when the EU will meet to weigh harsher sanctions against Turkey for its aggressions in the eastern Mediterranean and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face yet another election. Looking to calm the waters, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu plans to meet EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Brussels this week, before Mr Erdogan meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later this month.

Israel suspects Turkey's newly friendly stance is about winning points with Joe Biden

If the EU holds off on stronger sanctions and the increasingly hardline Mr Netanyahu fails to hold on to power, Turkey could gain ground in the eyes of European and eastern Mediterranean rivals, as well as the US. Mr Erdogan could use all the help he can get with Mr Biden, who is preparing to take office on January 20 and has reportedly ignored the longtime Turkish leader’s request to talk.

Mr Erdogan’s first chance to boost his international standing in the Biden era comes next Monday, when Turkey and Greece sit down for their first diplomatic talks in five years. A breakthrough is highly unlikely, but a measure of open-mindedness and a willingness to engage from the Turkish side could begin to change the narrative.

David Lepeska is a Turkish and Eastern Mediterranean affairs columnist for The National

Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi

From: Dara

To: Team@

Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT

Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East

Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.

Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.

I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.

This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.

It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.

Uber on,

Dara

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
%3Cp%3EEtihad%20Airways%20operates%20seasonal%20flights%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20Nice%20C%C3%B4te%20d'Azur%20Airport.%20Services%20depart%20the%20UAE%20on%20Wednesdays%20and%20Sundays%20with%20outbound%20flights%20stopping%20briefly%20in%20Rome%2C%20return%20flights%20are%20non-stop.%20Fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C315%2C%20flights%20operate%20until%20September%2018%2C%202022.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Radisson%20Blu%20Hotel%20Nice%20offers%20a%20western%20location%20right%20on%20Promenade%20des%20Anglais%20with%20rooms%20overlooking%20the%20Bay%20of%20Angels.%20Stays%20are%20priced%20from%20%E2%82%AC101%20(%24114)%2C%20including%20taxes.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

India squad for fourth and fifth Tests

Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile of Tamatem

Date started: March 2013

Founder: Hussam Hammo

Based: Amman, Jordan

Employees: 55

Funding: $6m

Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media

Result

Tottenhan Hotspur 2 Roma 3
Tottenham: Winks 87', Janssen 90 1'

Roma 3
D Perotti 13' (pen), C Under 70', M Tumminello 90 2"

 

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors