Introduction
Türkiye-Kuwait relations have long been characterized by diplomatic continuity and mutual trust. In the Middle East region marked by shifting alliances and recurring instability, this bilateral relationship has retained a degree of resilience. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964, Türkiye and Kuwait have maintained a healthy political dialogue shaped by shared principles of historical closeness, sovereignty, and pragmatic cooperation.
This enduring relationship has deepened particularly over the past two decades, during which both sides have recognized the utility of aligning their foreign policy orientations within a rapidly transforming Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape. Kuwait has historically positioned itself as a mediator and neutral actor in and around the Gulf region, pursuing a cautious foreign policy and balancing relations among competing regional powers such as Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Türkiye, on the other hand, has adopted a more active and multidimensional foreign policy, expanding its economic, defense, and diplomatic footprint across the Gulf and the broader Middle East. These two approaches have proven not contradictory but complementary.
Despite experiencing domestic political instability in recent years—including seven cabinet dissolutions within a short period due to stalled economic reforms—Kuwait has not allowed these developments to undermine its foreign relations with Türkiye. Quite the contrary, Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah chose Ankara as his first destionation outside the Arab world and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) following his accession to power in December 2023. This decision underscored the strategic weight Ankara holds in Kuwait’s diplomatic calculus.
On the Turkish side, Kuwait is viewed as a key Gulf partner, strategically reliable, economically capable, and diplomatically moderate. In Ankara’s broader regional strategy, especially following normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the 2020s, Kuwait represents one of the critical pillars of Türkiye’s Gulf engagement architecture. This makes the expected official visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Kuwait a significant geopolitical milestone, symbolizing not only continuity in relations but also the potential elevation of bilateral relations to a higher level.
