Erdoğan to host Egyptian President el-Sisi in Ankara

ANKARA

Türkiye and Egypt will hold a high-level strategic council meeting under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to crown what they call the normalization process between the two countries through economic agreements.

El-Sisi is expected to arrive in the Turkish capital on Sept. 4 for his first visit to Türkiye as the head of the nation.

Erdoğan and el-Sisi meeting will mark another historic turning point in the Turkish-Egyptian ties after the former’s visit to Cairo in February.

El-Sisi is expected to be accompanied by a large delegation that includes ministers and senior bureaucrats. The two presidents are expected to hold a bilateral meeting and then chair their delegations at the High-Level Strategic Council.

Following the meetings, the two sides are envisaged to sign a number of agreements to deepen economic, trade and investments as well as on energy, transportation, tourism, education and culture.

In Cairo, Erdoğan and Sissi vowed to increase the trade volume from the current $10 billion to $15 billion in five years. They are expected to voice their target and their commitment to reach it.

Situation in Gaza will be on agenda

Erdoğan and el-Sisi will also discuss the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas amid fading hopes for a ceasefire. They will also review mutual efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as around 2 million people are suffering from a lack of basic needs.

Some more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children were massacred by the Israeli army since October 2023.

Egypt is partnering with Qatar in negotiations to end the war between Israel and Hamas despite obstacles imposed by Israel. Erdoğan and el-Sisi are expected to discuss these efforts and what the Islamic world can do to this end.

Developments in the entire region, including Libya and Sudan, and the conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia will also be on the agenda of the leaders.