CAIRO // Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Cairo on the second day of his "Arab Spring tour" yesterday, receiving praise for his position in an continuing diplomatic row with Israel.
After the talks, the Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohammed Badie, praised Mr Erdogan's "brave stance" in the face of "Zionist insolence", saying that he had the admiration of the entire Arab and Muslim worlds.
Two weeks ago, Mr Erdogan's government expelled the Israeli ambassador after Israel refused to apologise for the death of nine activists during an Israeli raid on the flotilla. In speeches on Tuesday, Mr Erdogan repeatedly linked the death to Egypt's recent loss of six members of its security forces in an Israeli cross border operation.
Yesterday, Mr Erdogan was greeted by cheering crowds during his visit to the capital - part of a tour of countries that have recently overthrown autocratic rulers. Mr Erdogan arrived in Tunisia last night and will travel to Libya tomorrow.
Analysts say the visit is designed to strengthen Turkey's claim to become a regional leader and his recent tough stance on Israel has made him hugely popular in Egypt. Under the former president Hosni Mubarak Egypt was a dependable ally to Israel.
"All of Egyptians love Erdogan for his respect of Islam and the kindred losses Turkey and Egypt have suffered at Israeli hands," said Haneefi Al Ashi, a 56-year-old grocer.
With its Islamist roots and election success, Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party could act as a possible model for the Muslim Brotherhood and other political groups as they prepare for the first free elections in 30 years.
Though Mr Badie said Egypt should forge deeper ties with the Turkish government, his endorsement fell short of encouraging Mr Erdogan to take on the responsibility of shaping Egypt's transition to democracy.
In recent years, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's main opposition group, has witnessed a widening split in the organisation along generational lines. Younger members, who tend to hold more moderate views, are likely to embrace Mr Erdogan's visit.
Mr Erdogan also met leaders of Egypt's uprising, Pope Shenuda III, head of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church, and candidates for Egypt's presidential elections.
Some Egyptians remained unconvinced that the meetings would have a lasting effect on Egypt's political landscape without the country first voting a government into power.
"Maybe there's a change in how politics are made in this region of the world, but it is too early to make any judgement," said Ahmed Atef Fayed, 32, a psychiatrist.
"The leadership examples we will look to follow depend on what kind of government we elect. Naturally, with Turkey as a neighbour and a Muslim country, it is seen as a good mirror for ourselves."
During Mr Erdogan's speech at Cairo's Opera house on Tuesday evening he told Arab leaders that the uprisings in the region were a "light of hope" for the oppressed.
"His speeches are likely to empower civil society," said Emad Gad, an analyst at Al Ahram Center for Strategic Studies in Cairo, adding that meeting with political leaders such as the Muslim Brotherhood, has shown that Egypt's "political powers are ready to deal with Mr Erdogan as moderate, democratic powers".
Turkey is hoping Egyptian leaders can learn lessons from the "Turkish experience", said Theodore Karasik, the director of the Dubai based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.
"I think Turkey is trying to capture the sentiment of the younger generation so the new Egypt will be a democratic state where Islamist parties can flourish," he said.
Mr Gad said closer economic and diplomatic ties with Mr Erdogan were unlikely to jeopardise Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.
"The government's response to the Israeli embassy attacks shows that Egypt is not going to hurt its ties with Israel, and it cannot change that relationship because of strategic partnerships with Turkey."
Mr Gad said that though Mr Erdogan is likely to be angling for a strategic alliance with Egypt that will place Turkey as a major regional player, it is unlikely the talks will create any actual change.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
The Laughing Apple
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
South and West: From a Notebook
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Fourth Estate
Company%20Profile
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The specs
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Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
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Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
