Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set to meet with President Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey on Wednesday, marking the first presidential-level visit between the two nations in 12 years. This visit is a significant step in the ongoing thawing of relations between the regional powers.
The meeting follows Erdogan’s visit to Cairo in February, his first trip to Egypt since 2012, signaling a major effort to rebuild ties that had been deeply strained for a decade.
According to a statement from the Turkish presidency’s communications office on Tuesday, the talks will focus on reviewing the entire spectrum of Turkey-Egypt relations and exploring potential joint steps to further enhance cooperation. The discussions will also include exchanges on current regional and global issues, particularly the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
President al-Sisi is scheduled to arrive in Ankara at 2 p.m. (1100 GMT), with a joint press conference planned for 5 p.m. (1400 GMT).
Relations between Ankara and Cairo deteriorated sharply in 2013 after Sisi, then Egypt’s army chief, led the ouster of Mohamed Mursi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president and a close ally of Turkey. Mursi had visited Turkey as president in 2012.
The relationship began to improve in 2020 when Turkey launched a diplomatic initiative to ease tensions with its regional rivals, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Last year, Turkey and Egypt mutually reappointed ambassadors, and Ankara has since offered to provide Cairo with armed drones. During Erdogan’s visit to Cairo, the two countries expressed a desire to increase trade from $10 billion to $15 billion in the short term.
Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency reported that the two countries are expected to sign around 20 agreements aimed at boosting commercial ties and cooperation in areas such as energy, defense, tourism, health, culture, and education. Plans for deepening cooperation on renewable energy and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are also on the agenda.
Turkey, which has condemned Israel for its military actions in Gaza, has sent thousands of tonnes of aid to Egypt for Palestinians and commended Cairo’s humanitarian efforts and role in ceasefire negotiations.
