Eastern Mediterranean, bilateral relations, and economy dominate the agenda of the presidents of the two countries
“The presence of President Al Sisi in Ankara proves that President Erdogan knows how to fight when there is a battle and does not hesitate to make peace when he wants to make peace,” comments the well-known analyst of the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Abdulkadir Selvi, in his article today.
As Deutsche Welle points out, Selvi emphasizes that Erdogan’s idea to restore the previously troubled relations of Turkey with countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and now Egypt has brought positive results. In fact, he sees the normalization of Turkey-Egypt relations as a historical necessity: “While the footsteps of World War III are heard and our region is divided, Turkey and Egypt should sit side by side at the same table,” he writes in his article.
The Turkish and international press today speaks of a new chapter in bilateral relations. In the joint press conference on Wednesday, the President of Turkey stated that the two countries confirmed their willingness to improve their relations in every sector, including defense, health, energy, and the environment. President Sisi emphasized that his visit to Turkey paves the way for a new phase in economic and trade relations.
“Multidimensional relations”
Apart from the agreement for a common stance on Gaza, Erdogan and Al Sisi discussed regional issues such as the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Libya, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa. “We are determined to enhance consultations with Egypt, with which we share similar positions and goals on many issues. We will work more closely and promote our multidimensional relations with a mutually beneficial approach (kazan-kazan),” Erdogan stressed. The Egyptian president stated that he discussed with President Erdogan the termination of the civil war in Libya through presidential and parliamentary elections and the withdrawal of foreign troops from its territory.
A total of 17 Memorandums of Cooperation were signed yesterday between Turkey and Egypt with the aim of increasing trade to $15 billion from $6.6 billion last year. Among the signed memorandums were agreements for the creation of industrial parks, higher education and scientific research, telecommunications, financing of SMEs, the tourism sector, and energy. Analysts highlight that with this historic reconciliation, Turkey seeks to participate in regional projects for the transportation of Egyptian natural gas to Europe. The Turkish president notably mentioned, “We are willing to enhance our energy cooperation with Egypt, especially in natural gas and nuclear energy.”
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Egypt Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkey Abdel Fattah Al Sisi