Turkey, UAE accelerate reconciliation process

ANKARA

In a sign of intensified mutual efforts to mend the years-long broken ties, the leaders of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates held a phone conversation to discuss the bilateral ties and regional developments.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken by phone with the UAE’s de facto ruler, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late Aug. 30, two weeks after he received UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his office in the Turkish capital.

“Relations between the countries and regional issues were discussed in the talks,” a brief statement from the Turkish Presidency said without giving further details.

The UAE on Aug. 31 described a phone call between the leaders as “positive” and “friendly”.

“Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's phone call with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was very positive and friendly,” UAE presidential diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash said on Twitter.

He said the contact between the two leaders was meant to open “a new phase” in relations as “the UAE seeks to build bridges, maximize commonalities and work together with friends and brothers to ensure future decades of regional stability and prosperity for all peoples and countries of the region.”

Turkey and the UAE were in dialogue for narrowing the differences on a number of bilateral and regional matters, including Libya conflict, through the intelligence services. Ties between the two countries had derailed after the UAE had slammed Turkey’s strong reaction against the coup staged by Abdel Fettah al-Sisi that led to the toppling of Egypt’s first elected President Mohammed Morsi in mid-2013.

Turkish officials have also accused the UAE of supporting 2016 coup attempt by FETÖ in Turkey. Turkey stood by Qatar against the embargo staged by the Gulf countries, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The UAE’s state news agency WAM said both leaders discussed “the prospects of reinforcing the relations between the two nations in a way that serves their common interests and their two peoples.”

Erdoğan’s talks two weeks ago were with UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and focused on economic cooperation. Erdoğan had said that the two countries had made progress in improving relations, which could lead to significant UAE investment in Turkey.

In an interview, he admitted that there could be ups and downs in ties with other countries, but Turkey and the UAE have now engaged in dialogue to better the bilateral ties.