Turkey's Egyptian Overtures: Why Does Erdogan Care?

Judging from Tayyip Erdogan’s fiery reactions to the events in Egypt, it’s clear that Cairo’s troubles have graduated to the status of a ‘big-ticket’ foreign policy issue for Ankara. For some, it’s another opportunity for Erdogan to display his kasimpaşali flavor of ‘rough-and-tough’ politics, reminiscent of the ‘one minute’ saga in Davos. For others, Ankara’s interest in Egypt smacks of a ‘Neo-Ottoman’ brand of foreign policy . But, in lieu of the ongoing protests across Turkey, Erdogan’s post-June 30th tryst with Egypt should instead be understood as an external manifestation of insecurities that plague him and Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) within their immediate realm of influence.