Hamid Khoshayand – Regional Affairs Expert
The recent visit of the Turkish President to three Arab countries on the Persian Gulf coast (Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman) has received widespread coverage in Turkish and regional media and political circles. Turkish domestic media have covered Erdogan’s visits to Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman with significant focus and precision, and Turkish analysts have also assessed them as strategic moves to enhance regional influence and solidify Ankara’s economic relations with these countries. Erdogan’s visit to the Persian Gulf region can be significant from three aspects.

The Link Between the Gaza Truce and Ankara’s Active Diplomacy
This visit took place under sensitive circumstances, with a truce agreement in effect in Gaza and Turkey among the key countries in its implementation. Given the role Ankara played in stopping the war in Gaza, the success or failure of the truce has become a determining factor for Turkey’s international credibility and prestige. If the ceasefire holds, this success will be seen as a victory for Ankara’s active diplomacy at the regional and global levels. However, its failure would not only be considered a failure in Turkey’s foreign policy but would also seriously challenge the country’s position as an effective regional actor.
In this regard, one of the main pillars of Turkey’s strategy to ensure the truce’s success is attracting investment from Persian Gulf Arab countries for Gaza’s reconstruction. Ankara hopes that by turning Gaza into an economic project, it can both pave the way for stabilizing the truce and solidify its role as a key player in West Asian equations.

Turkey’s Grand Strategy for Deepening Cooperation with PGCC
Beyond Gaza, Erdogan’s visit to Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman should be analyzed within the framework of Ankara’s grand strategy to deepen cooperation with the Persian Gulf countries. Turkey is pursuing two strategic objectives: concluding a free trade agreement and institutionalizing strategic dialogue with these countries.
It is said that during Erdogan’s visits to Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, over 100 cooperation documents covering a wide range of topics were signed. This indicates that the relations between Turkey and the Persian Gulf countries are transitioning from a traditional model to deeper strategic cooperation. In the past, countries like the UAE and Qatar primarily supported Turkey through financial aid and credit lines, but today this cooperation has shifted toward productive, long-term investments.
This transformation shows that the wealthy Persian Gulf countries are inclined to cooperate not merely as a source of liquidity, but as equal partners with Ankara. The new focus on joint projects in areas such as establishing factories, infrastructure development, and advanced defense industry cooperation is evidence of this change in attitude. This trend not only strengthens the economic ties between the two sides but will also reinforce the foundation for long-term strategic cooperation.

Turkey-Qatar Relations: A Model for Expansion in the Region
Strengthening bilateral relations with the countries mentioned above, particularly Kuwait and Oman, is another important factor to consider in assessing Erdogan’s visit. From Ankara’s perspective, Turkey and Qatar’s successful strategic cooperation demonstrates that when cooperation moves beyond ordinary exchanges and is grounded in shared strategic interests, it can reach unprecedented levels of quality.
Within this framework, Turkey seeks to extend the model of Ankara-Doha relations, which includes profound economic, security, and defense cooperation, to other Arab countries on the Persian Gulf coast, including Kuwait and Oman. A look at the members of Erdogan’s accompanying team during the visit to the three Arab countries and the prominent presence of Haluk Görgün, the head of Turkey’s Defense Industry Agency, in the bilateral negotiations clearly shows that, from Erdogan’s perspective, the key to realizing this vision is solidifying cooperation in the defense sector.

In a final assessment, it must be acknowledged that the recent visit of the Turkish President to Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, although undertaken with hopeful economic and commercial objectives, carries significant risks underlying these relations. The investment priorities of the Persian Gulf Arab countries in Turkey are primarily focused on key sectors such as energy, defense industries, finance, and transportation, and there is real capacity for bilateral cooperation in these areas.
However, Turkey’s economic conditions, which are grappling with high inflation and currency fluctuations, are a determining factor in realizing this cooperation. The Persian Gulf countries, aware of these weaknesses, might in the future utilize their investments as leverage to advance their political and economic objectives. Therefore, despite existing capacities, a significant portion of the outcomes of this cooperation remains uncertain and risky due to structural instability in Turkey’s economy and the imperatives of regional geopolitics.