Struggle for the Center: Egyptian Relations with Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the Second Decade of the 21st Century
2019
Abstract
Egyptian political leaders have long believed that their country should be the center of gravity in the Middle East and the bridge that connects this troubled part of the world to Europe, Asia, and Africa, citing geostrategic, demographic, cultural, and historical justifications to support this claim. For their part, both Turkey and Saudi Arabia have had the same ambitions for similar reasons, albeit with some minor differences in details.
The recent history of the Middle East has been marked by cooperation and competition between these three countries, along with Iran, as they have sought to gain regional and international recognition of their central role.