Turkey's Foreign MInister Mevlut Cavusoglu met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Mersin, Turkey, last month. AP
Turkey's Foreign MInister Mevlut Cavusoglu met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Mersin, Turkey, last month. AP
Turkey's Foreign MInister Mevlut Cavusoglu met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Mersin, Turkey, last month. AP
Turkey's Foreign MInister Mevlut Cavusoglu met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Mersin, Turkey, last month. AP

Turkey's Foreign Minister to make first official visit to Egypt in 10 years


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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will visit Egypt on Saturday, in his first official trip to the country in a decade.

The visit will pave the path for restoring normal relations between the two countries, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"The visit will launch an in-depth dialogue on different aspects of bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern with the aim of reaching a mutual understanding that serves the interests of the two countries and peoples," said Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid.

Mr Cavusoglu was invited by his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and the meeting will entail discussions on bilateral and international issues, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.

Mr Shoukry, who had visited Turkey in February, will hold a bilateral meeting with his Turkish counterpart in Cairo.

Egypt and Turkey held exploratory talks in May and September 2021 to discuss restoring bilateral relations, Anadolu reported.

The two countries have had a tumultuous relationship in recent years, with Mr Erdogan insisting in 2019 that he would never meet his Egyptian counterpart, after opposing the 2013 fall of the Muslim Brotherhood-backed president Mohamed Morsi.

The two regional powerhouses have backed rival sides in the conflict in Libya, Egypt's neighbour to the west that has been torn by more than 10 years of divisions and civil strife.

Egypt is also opposed to what it sees as Turkey's meddling in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, and its attempts to muscle in on plans by Cairo and its allies to turn the East Mediterranean, where vast natural gas reserves have been found, into a regional energy hub.

However, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi shook hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup in Doha, in a sign of warming ties.

A week later, Mr Erdogan said he could meet his Egyptian counterpart to set the stage for a new phase in bilateral relations.

In an interview with Haberturk TV in November, Mr Erdogan said “the process with Egypt has started. After minister-level talks, we will get together."

He revealed that he and the Egyptian leader spoke for about 30 to 45 minutes in Doha and that “both sides were happy with the meeting". -Additional reporting from wires

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

Updated: March 17, 2023, 3:57 PM