DUBAI: The prospect of Recep Tayyip Erdogan winning another presidential term in Turkey would once have rung alarms around the Middle East, but after taking a more conciliatory stance in recent years his strong election showing on Sunday has caused few flutters.against opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, defying some predictions he might lose outright.
While some Kurdish groups still see Erdogan as an implacable foe, most Middle East governments have come to regard the Turkish leader as part of an acceptable status quo in a tumultuous region. He repaired relations with the UAE in 2021 and with Riyadh last year, securing investment and economic help in return.
He worked with Assad's main backers Russia and Iran to contain the conflict at times while sending troops into Syria alongside rebels to seize territory from Kurdish groups. "He's always bombing the broader region. If he leaves, maybe the situation will change," said Raber Mahmoud Ahmed, 30, a driver in Erbil.