Turkish, Egyptian foreign ministers speak by phone

ANKARA- Reuters

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Egypt spoke by phone on April 10, the Turkish foreign ministry said, their first direct contact since a push by Ankara to improve strained ties between the regional powerhouses.

The two ministers exchanged good wishes over the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which starts next week, the ministry added, but gave no further details.

Last month, Turkey said it had resumed diplomatic contacts with Egypt and wanted to improve cooperation after years of tensions since the Egyptian army toppled a Muslim Brotherhood president close to President Tayyip Erdoğan in 2013.

"Our Minister Mr. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu spoke with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry with the aim of reciprocally celebrating the month of Ramadan," the ministry said.