The upcoming visit of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia could please Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he did not include Greece and Cyprus in his tour. At a time of resurgence in tensions between Turkey and Greece, the prince's itinerary is signaling that Saudi Arabia has no intention of upsetting its friends by mending relations with Turkey, Al-Monitor writes.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's planned tour will also cover Egypt and Jordan, with the exact schedule still under discussion, Reuters reported. The trip could take place as early as early June, two sources told the agency.

Riyadh's perception of the growing Iranian threat, its setbacks in the war in Yemen, and changes in US policy may be reasons to move closer to Turkey. The idea of ​​creating a Sunni axis against Iran in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon also brings Riyadh and Ankara closer, despite their cooperation with various players on the ground. Ankara and Tehran have clashed over a range of issues in recent months, including the formation of a new Iraqi government, a proposed Kurdish gas export route, Turkey's pursuit of Kurdish fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan and threats of intervention in Sinjar, a cross-border water exchange and the specter of a new Turkish military operation in Syria.

Erdogan may have additional motives to make peace with the Saudi prince, whom he sought to discredit internationally over the assassination of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashggaagji. For many observers, his desire to alleviate the financial crisis in Turkey is the most important reason.

In addition, peace with the Saudis could alleviate Turkey's regional problems to some extent. Ankara will face obstacles in various Arab countries while arguing with Riyadh. Saudi Arabia can influence these relations, negatively or positively. Turkey has faced such Saudi influence throughout the region, including in Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have backed Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Israel in isolating Turkey in an energy rivalry in the Eastern Mediterranean, although the two Gulf states are not directly involved in the issue. The main goal of Turkey's drive to normalize relations with Egypt, Israel and the Gulf heavyweights is to tip the balance in the Eastern Mediterranean in its favor, which leaves Greece on the alert not to lose its Arab friends.

The crown prince's plan to visit Turkey follows Erdogan's visit to the kingdom in April. It may look like a return visit, but including Greece and Cyprus on the same tour could dampen mood in Ankara, given Turkey's hopes of beating its two historic rivals in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Saudi Arabia was not directly involved in the disputes, but their show of solidarity with Greece and Cyprus irritated Ankara. In March 2021, Saudi Arabia sent warplanes to Greece as part of a joint military exercise, signaling its side. Athens then agreed to provide Riyadh with a Patriot air defense system to help protect Saudi infrastructure from missile attacks from Yemen.