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KT edit: Iran, Turkey display double standards

There are always governments and nations that talk of peace in the abstract but when it comes to a tangible step in creating that often elusive tranquil zone, they shy away and instead fall back on muddying the waters. For years, Iran has played a destabilising role in the region with its expansionist policies. It has even meddled in domestic affairs of various countries and done precious little to create a sense of regional security. Over the past decade, Turkey too had started following the footsteps of Iran. The Recep Tayyip Erdogan government has been encroaching on the sovereignty of regional countries and being divisive. Turkey has its fingerprints on the internal affairs of Syria and now Libya. Development at home was forsaken in a chase for power and influence in the region. These odd priorities have bruised the economies of both Iran and Turkey yet their respective leaderships have paid little heed to their people or to the call of domestic affairs.
It has not stopped there. Military adventurism by both Iran and Turkey has frequently fuelled tensions in the region. It comes as no surprise that these the two countries would criticise the trilateral deal announced by the US, the UAE, and Israel on Thursday. It has to be recorded that Erdogan's indication of withdrawing their ambassador from the UAE reeks of double standards. Turkey was the first Muslim country to formalise relations with Israel in 1949. In the last few decades, the relations between the two countries have flourished and both have vital trade links. The governments give high priority to military, strategic, and diplomatic cooperation. Turkey and Israel had a trade exchange of almost $6 billion in 2019. Over half a million Israeli tourists visit Turkey each year. Turkish Airlines is one of the two carriers in the Middle East that has been flying to Israel. Yet, the Erdogan government has accused the UAE of forging ties with Israel. It is a baffling stance and one that defies logic.
The trilateral deal, on the contrary, is a step towards a more stable Middle East and that is why the rest of the world is expressing its immense satisfaction. Having a peace treaty with Israel and fostering partnerships by respective industry players could open a world of opportunities in the UAE, Israel, and the region at large. The Middle East per se stands to gain from any cooling of tensions and the ushering in of positive diplomacy, and that's the message the UAE is sending to countries regionally. It was JFK who famously said we do not negotiate out of fear but we do not fear to negotiate. Because that is forward thinking statesmen do. The deal goes on to prove the soft power of the UAE that believes in the power of dialogue over warfare and conflicts. Unprovoked by these developments, a strong and confident Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has rightly said: "We have a very complicated relationship with Iran. While we have our concerns, we feel also that resolving these issues should be through diplomacy and de-escalation," Gargash said. The UAE is walking the talk, other countries should follow suit.