Turkey, UAE deal to launch new area in bilateral ties: Erdoğan

ANKARA

The recent deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey would lead to a new era in bilateral ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

“I believe that the articles in the text of this agreement have been a step that has led to the start of a new era between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates and to make it permanent,” he told a group of journalists on his flight from Turkmenistan.

Erdoğan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan oversaw the signing of several investments and cooperation deals on Nov. 24 as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates stepped up to repair relations and boost economic ties.

He recalled his meeting with Mohammed Bin Zayed in 2011 and added, “After that, we went through some different periods. But we haven’t completely broken up the links. At least the intelligence agencies continued their talks with each other.

Meanwhile, commercial relations continued and despite the “undesirable developments,” business eventually turned out to be good, he said.

Elaborating on bin Zayed’s visit to Ankara, Erdoğan said, “Indeed, it was a visit with a family sensibility. Our meetings, both bilateral and between the delegations, went very well and we signed the contract there.”

The president said the foreign minister and the intelligence organization chief would pay a visit to the UAE and he will travel there in February.

“Then in February, I hope I will go with a large delegation, and we will take some steps very strongly. They presented a $10 billion investment plan. By putting this investment plan into practice, we will build a very different future. There will be good developments in this regard as well,” he stated.

Asked about ties with Israel and Egypt, Erdoğan said, “We will, of course, be in a position to appoint ambassadors within a certain calendar. In some of the countries you mentioned, there are some steps taken as the charge d’affaires. There is no ambassador, but there is a charge d’affaires. We will have taken these steps gradually within a certain calendar.”

“Just as a step was taken between us and the United Arab Emirates, we will take similar steps with others,” he added.
Elaborating on Turkey’s economic situation, Erdoğan said, “From the first day we came to power, perhaps for the first time in our history, we have followed an economic policy that suits our needs, priorities and realities. We continue this with the same determination.”

“In other words, we also struggled for economic independence. As we took these steps, we encountered the resistance of the tutelage from the inside and outside, and various attacks on our economy,” Erdoğan said.

The government would solve the problems caused by the “price increases due to the movements in the exchange rate that have had no economic basis in recent days, with investment, employment and production in favor of our nation,” he said.

“We will grow, [and] as we grow, our nation will win,” he added.