Who is closer to me in maintaining family ties, my maternal uncles and paternal uncles directly, or the uncles of my uncles? No.

The direct relatives have more right to be connected, the direct maternal uncle has more right than the uncle of the mother.

Or the uncle of the uncle, meaning the mother's uncle. So your uncle is closer than your mother's uncle, and your paternal uncle is closer than your father's uncle, and so on.