Is Egypt's tyrant on his way out?
The tyrant, who owes his position to Western advertising agencies, has been mocked and insulted on the front pages of prominent newspapers
While stories about Turkey frequently make headlines in the international media, the Turkish public closely follows developments around the world, and the situation in Egypt is particularly interesting.
Earlier this month, Egypt announced that it would transfer the two Red Sea Islands of Tiran and Sanafir located in Saudi territorial waters, to Saudi Arabia. The decision, which was reached during Saudi King Salman's five-day visit to Egypt, has drawn an angry reaction from opposition figures and Western countries.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi remains under fire from the Western pundits who once hailed him as the country's best hope. The tyrant, who owes his position to Western advertising agencies, has been mocked and insulted on the front pages of prominent newspapers. Meanwhile, political commentators maintain that April 25 marked the turning point in Sissi's presidency. If everything goes as planned, massive protests will break out over the Egyptian generalissimo's controversial decision. In a way, the West is slowly getting ready for Sissi's spectacular departure.
It is quite ironic that the man who rose to power on the Western media's back now faces a premature exit under pressure from the same places.
To be clear, the Egyptian opposition has been working hard to make its story more compelling. Since January 2016, it has been reinventing its platform and reinvigorating its base to present itself as a viable alternative to Sissi in the West's eyes. In turn, Western pundits constantly point out that liberals and leftists are leading the anti-government protests. Although the Muslim Brotherhood recently called on its supporters to participate in street protests, CNN International and others would rather talk about young activists, claiming they challenge Sissi today as they opposed ousted President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. It is just not good television.
Apparently, some people have been thinking whether it would be great to stage an orange revolution in Cairo to remove the man who bowed to Saudi Arabia, whose king just threatened to collapse the U.S. economy. And, it doesn't hurt that Morsi and the rest of the Muslim Brotherhood leadership happen to be behind bars. Nor is it extremely inconvenient that the Salafists who backed the coup have been utterly disgraced in the public eye.
Egypt's president is slowly running out of time. To save his regime, Sissi will have to strike a deal with his country's kingmakers - some of whom claim the political honeymoon has ended. But, he may have passed the point of no return already.
Earlier this month, Egypt announced that it would transfer the two Red Sea Islands of Tiran and Sanafir located in Saudi territorial waters, to Saudi Arabia. The decision, which was reached during Saudi King Salman's five-day visit to Egypt, has drawn an angry reaction from opposition figures and Western countries.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi remains under fire from the Western pundits who once hailed him as the country's best hope. The tyrant, who owes his position to Western advertising agencies, has been mocked and insulted on the front pages of prominent newspapers. Meanwhile, political commentators maintain that April 25 marked the turning point in Sissi's presidency. If everything goes as planned, massive protests will break out over the Egyptian generalissimo's controversial decision. In a way, the West is slowly getting ready for Sissi's spectacular departure.
It is quite ironic that the man who rose to power on the Western media's back now faces a premature exit under pressure from the same places.
To be clear, the Egyptian opposition has been working hard to make its story more compelling. Since January 2016, it has been reinventing its platform and reinvigorating its base to present itself as a viable alternative to Sissi in the West's eyes. In turn, Western pundits constantly point out that liberals and leftists are leading the anti-government protests. Although the Muslim Brotherhood recently called on its supporters to participate in street protests, CNN International and others would rather talk about young activists, claiming they challenge Sissi today as they opposed ousted President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. It is just not good television.
Apparently, some people have been thinking whether it would be great to stage an orange revolution in Cairo to remove the man who bowed to Saudi Arabia, whose king just threatened to collapse the U.S. economy. And, it doesn't hurt that Morsi and the rest of the Muslim Brotherhood leadership happen to be behind bars. Nor is it extremely inconvenient that the Salafists who backed the coup have been utterly disgraced in the public eye.
Egypt's president is slowly running out of time. To save his regime, Sissi will have to strike a deal with his country's kingmakers - some of whom claim the political honeymoon has ended. But, he may have passed the point of no return already.
Last Update: April 27, 2016 02:00