Turkish FM visits Egypt amid thaw in relations

EL ARISH, Egypt

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Egypt on Aug. 4 for a two-day visit aimed at improving relations between Ankara and Cairo.

The visit made at the invitation of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will include discussions on bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments, according to a statement from Türkiye's Foreign Ministry.

This trip marks Fidan's first official meeting with Abdulati, who was appointed last month.

The ministers were set to focus on preparations for an upcoming meeting of the strategic cooperation council between the two countries.

This high-level meeting is scheduled to take place during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's visit to Türkiye.

Fidan and Abdelatty were also expected to review several agreements planned to be signed during this council meeting. Additionally, they were to explore long-term cooperation opportunities in various sectors, including energy, health, tourism and defense.

Fidan began his visit at El Arish airport, where aid is being dispatched to Gaza. He was further expected to visit Egypt's Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian territories.

The situation in Gaza and humanitarian aid to the region are key topics on Fidan's agenda. He was also scheduled to inspect the Egyptian Red Crescent's logistics center.

This visit follows a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and el-Sissi in Cairo on Feb. 14, during which they agreed to open a new chapter in their relations after a decade of tension.

The leaders decided to resume the activities of the strategic council at the presidential level, with a shared goal of increasing their trade volume to $15 billion.

“We are determined to increase the level of the relationship between our countries. We are satisfied to observe the same strong will on the Egyptian side,” Erdoğan said at a press conference with el-Sissi after the talks.

The two leaders signed a joint declaration that underlines the beginning of a new era in ties and the importance of the improvement of bilateral dialogue for regional and global issues.

“We wish to convene the strategic council in a very short period of time in Ankara. I believe this will constitute a milestone in our ties,” Erdoğan said.

“I believe there is serious potential for cooperation in the field of defense industry. Egypt has significant investments in this field. I think we can strengthen our cooperation through joint projects."

For his part, el-Sissi also underlined Cairo’s willingness to further deepen ties with Türkiye.

“All these mean opening a new page in our ties,” he said, adding the two countries can also cooperate in the African continent. “We are willing to launch new cooperation areas."