Wednesday Jul 16, 2025
NEWSLETTER
www.israelhayom.com
  • Home
  • News
    • Israel
    • Israel at War
    • Middle East
    • United States
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
  • In Memoriam
www.israelhayom.com
  • Home
  • News
    • Israel
    • Israel at War
    • Middle East
    • United States
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
  • In Memoriam
www.israelhayom.com
Home News Middle East

Strategic shift? Erdogan moves against Muslim Brotherhood

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan orders Istanbul-based TV channels affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood to immediately stop airing criticism of Egypt.

by  Dean Shmuel Elmas
Published on  03-21-2021 09:39
Last modified: 03-21-2021 09:39
Did Turkey's Erdogan form an IRGC-like force?AFP/Adem Altan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan | Photo: AFP/Adem Altan

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

In a sign that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could be pursuing a historic policy shift, Turkish authorities last week ordered Istanbul-based TV channels affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood to immediately stop airing criticism of Egypt, Al- Arabiya News reported.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

The underlying message appears to be clear: Reduce criticism against Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi and his regime as much as possible.  The three Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated channels began broadcasting from Istanbul between the years 2013-2015 following the fall of former Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the rise of el-Sissi's regime in 2014.

Erdogan, who is closely identified with the Muslim Brotherhood movement, helped these media outlets find a home in Turkey to disseminate the movement's propaganda, which is outlawed in Egypt. The Turkish president also helped senior Muslim Brotherhood officials immigrate to Turkey to help them escape persecution.

Now, however, Ankara is signaling to Cairo, and Jerusalem for that matter, that it wants to normalize relations.

Egypt's Minister of Information Osama Heikal said he welcomed news of Turkey's decision to ban the channels, referring to it as "a good initiative."

With that, projects such as the EastMed pipeline, which will likely run in parts of the eastern Mediterranean Sea that Turkey considers its territorial waters, have left it strategically isolated. Hence the orders to El-Sharq TV, Watan TV and Mekameleen channels to halt airing political shows critical of Egypt and to only air non-political shows and series.

Penalties will reportedly be imposed on the channels that defy the order, including permanently closing down the TV stations.

A tweet from El Sharq TV's official account read: "To our dear followers, we apologize [for not airing] tonight's episode of 'The Streets of Egypt." No further clarification was given.

"A new chapter can be opened, a new page can be turned in our relationship with Egypt as well as other Gulf countries to help regional peace and stability," an Erdogan spokesperson told Bloomberg.

"These channels are not watched by the Turkish people, and therefore this is more of a message meant for Cairo," Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an expert on contemporary Turkish politics and foreign policy, told Israel Hayom. "Erdogan wants to show el-Sissi that he's serious in his desire to normalize relations between the countries. As a first step, this is what [the Turks] did."

Yanarocak added: "This is the first stage of Erdogan's credibility test, in which he'll not only have to prove he's taking steps against the Muslim Brotherhood in general and against its media outlets in particular but mainly against the establishment Turkish press which almost entirely delegitimizes Egypt. At the same time, Erdogan's conduct in this regard will largely determine trilateral relations with Israel. Egypt will be a test case for gauging whether the Turkish president can stop the methodical attacks against Jerusalem in the establishment Turkish media."

 Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Tags: EgyptRecep Tayyip ErdoganTurkey

Related Posts

Ceasefire reached in Syria amid US pressureJINI/Ayal Margolin

Ceasefire reached in Syria amid US pressure

by Michel Makhoul, Lilach Shoval and Shachar Kleiman

A source in Syria’s Interior Ministry told the country’s official news agency that a ceasefire agreement had been reached in...

Druze in Syria call Israel for help as IDF Chief warns new regime

Armed Druze crossed border into Syria, IDF strikes Damascus

by Michel Makhoul and Lilach Shoval

Hundreds of armed Druze civilians have crossed the border fence from Israel into Syria near Majdal Shams. In response, the...

'The Red Bands': Behind al-Julani's shock troops in SyriaArab social media

'The Red Bands': Behind al-Julani's shock troops in Syria

by Shachar Kleiman

Syria's new Islamist government has deployed elite units to the Druze city of Sweida, marking a significant escalation in efforts...

Menu

Analysis 

Archaeology

Blogpost

Business & Finance

Culture

Exclusive

Explainer

Environment

 

Features

Health

In Brief

Jewish World

Judea and Samaria

Lifestyle

Cyber & Internet

Sports

 

Diplomacy 

Iran & The Gulf

Gaza Strip

Politics

Shopping

Terms of use

Privacy Policy

Submissions

Contact Us

About Us

The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30, 2007. Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better, more balanced and more accurate journalism. Journalism that speaks, not shouts. Journalism of a different kind. And free of charge.

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il

  • Home
  • News
    • Israel at War
    • Israel
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
    • Environment & Wildlife
    • Health & Wellness
  • In Memoriam
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit your opinion
  • Terms and conditions

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il

Newsletter

[contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”]

  • Home
  • News
    • Israel at War
    • Israel
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
    • Environment & Wildlife
    • Health & Wellness
  • In Memoriam
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit your opinion
  • Terms and conditions

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il