Moroccan King Declines to Meet With Erdogan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is reviled by angry protesters in his own country, has been on an official visit to the Arab Maghreb countries since June 3. The visit included Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

These last few days have been marked by new rallies and violent acts in Turkey — despite the excuses made by the government — and the incensed demonstrators continue to demand that Erdogan be toppled, criticizing his authoritarian tendencies. Turkish unions also joined the ranks of protesters.
In this somewhat tumultuous context, marked by the deterioration of the political and social situation, Erdogan embarked on his visit. He is heading a delegation of more than 200 businessmen, so as to extend his influence to the Maghreb region, which remains one of the main hubs of Turkey’s interests.
The first stop was Morocco, where Erdogan was welcomed in Rabat by the head of government, Abdelillah Benkirane. Accompanied by an important delegation of ministers and businessmen, he did not seem to have succeeded in his North African tour. Erdogan, who has been roundly criticized by Istanbul’s citizens for being “authoritarian,” received his first “cold welcome” in the kingdom.
Erdogan’s visit to Morocco, which had been initially scheduled for two days, fizzled out. No one expected that King Mohammed VI would not receive the Turkish prime minister. He was received by Benkirane, who also belongs to a “moderate” Islamist movement.
The AKP leader cut short his trip to Morocco to head to neighboring Algeria, where he was welcomed by Abdelmalek Sellal, head of the government, since the Algerian president has been in France for a long recovery.
This visit has not generated much interest among Algerians, who have been almost indifferent to it. This was confirmed to Al-Monitor by the leader of the Islamist Front for Justice and Development, Abdullah al-Djaballah.
“I encourage closer cooperation with countries from the Muslim world. Turkey is a rich and developed country. Rapprochement with this country, with which we have good relations, is appreciated. However, unfortunately, the visit of Turkey’s prime minister has failed to generate the interest it deserved and has been different from that of [French President Francois] Hollande in terms of media coverage,” he said.
During his visit to Algeria, the Turkish prime minister had the opportunity to discuss with Sellal ways of consolidating cooperation between the two countries. Erdogan, who delivered a speech before the members of the Algerian National People’s Congress, also participated in a forum including businessmen from both countries.
This move aimed at giving further impetus to economic cooperation between the two nations, bound by a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation signed in 2006, regarding the textile, automotive and agribusiness industries.
“This visit reflects the will of both countries to take their political rhetoric and economic relations to the highest level, as mentioned in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation concluded in 2006. This agreement, which reflects common understanding and cooperation, will certainly pave the way before these two nations, which share a long and rich history, to embark on the path of the future with a solid foundation,” the head of the Islamist party’s communications office said, speaking to Al-Monitor.