Egypt's el-Sissi to pay first visit to Türkiye as ties warm

ANKARA

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is expected to pay his first visit to Ankara on Sept. 4 for a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to sources cited by multiple news outlets.

The ongoing war in Gaza is expected to dominate the discussions as the talks will focus on joint efforts to halt Israeli military actions in Gaza and establish a ceasefire.

Additionally, the leaders are set to address other regional issues, including the conflicts in Libya, Sudan and Somalia.

This visit follows Erdoğan's trip to Cairo in February, the first of its kind since 2012 where the two nations elevated their relationship to the level of “strategic cooperation."

Both leaders described the visit as the beginning of a “new chapter” in bilateral ties, which had been strained since the ouster of Egypt's Mohammed Morsi-led government in 2013.

A high-level strategic cooperation council meeting is also scheduled during el-Sissi's visit, where the nations are expected to sign agreements across various sectors.

Economic relations will be a significant part of the agenda, with discussions aimed at increasing mutual investments and trade.

The target is to boost trade volume between the nations from the current $10 billion to $15 billion.

El-Sissi is expected to be accompanied by representatives from Egypt's business community as energy cooperation, particularly in liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewable energy and mining, will be on the table.

The thaw in relations between Türkiye and Egypt began in early 2021 as part of a broader Turkish diplomatic initiative, culminating in a handshake between el-Sissi and Erdoğan during the 2022 World Cup inauguration in Qatar.

Last year's devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye further cemented the thaw as Egypt provided humanitarian aid and dispatched its then Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to the disaster-stricken areas.

In July 2023, the two countries exchanged ambassadors, accelerating their rapprochement amid the ongoing war in Gaza, where both Cairo and Ankara have found common ground in their disagreements with Israel.

Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Cairo and met with el-Sissi and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty.

The two sides discussed the steps to be taken to ensure el-Sissi's visit is “as productive as possible," Abdelatty said at a joint press conference with Fidan on Aug. 5.

Fidan’s visit included stops at key sites like El Arish airport, the Rafah border crossing and the Egyptian Red Crescent's logistics center, where humanitarian aid to Gaza was a central topic.