Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, right, meets Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo on March 18. EPA
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, right, meets Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo on March 18. EPA
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, right, meets Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo on March 18. EPA
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, right, meets Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo on March 18. EPA

Turkey to normalise Egypt relations 'step by step', says foreign minister during visit


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Egypt and Turkey will move forward “step by step” to end a decade-long rift, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, on a milestone visit to Cairo, said after talks with his Egyptian counterpart.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said relations would be normalised “at the appropriate time.” He was speaking at a joint news conference after talks with Mr Cavusoglu, the first Turkish foreign minister to visit Egypt in 10 years.

The pair were upbeat about the future of relations between the two regional powers, but did not say how much, if any, progress they made on issues such as Turkey's military presence in Libya, an issue of particular concern to Cairo, and Ankara's involvement in Syria and Iraq.

“I'm very glad that we are taking steps for normalising relations with Egypt. We will do our best not to rupture our ties again in future,” Mr Cavusoglu said.

“We will, over a short period of time, develop our diplomatic relations step by step. There is a genuine and sincere political will to develop these relations.

“We will co-ordinate a meeting soon (between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan). That meeting can take place before or after the elections,” Mr Cavusoglu said, alluding to Turkey's presidential elections scheduled for May 14.

Mr Shoukry's comments were more cautious.

“We will come to talks (on restoring ambassadors) at the appropriate time, depending on the positive results it brings,” he said.

After a decade fraught with tension, the normalisation of ties is expected to take time given the complexity and number of differences between the two nations.

These include the 2013 removal by Egypt’s military, then led by Mr El Sisi, of Turkish-backed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi amid street protests against his divisive rule, according to Egyptian officials.

Egypt and Turkey held two rounds of exploratory talks in 2021 to normalise relations.

Those made little headway, but a November meeting between the Egyptian and Turkish leaders in Qatar appears to have given the process a major boost.

Bringing the two countries closer was Mr El Sisi calling the Turkish president last month to offer his condolences on the death of tens of thousands in the February 6 earthquake and later a visit to earthquake-stricken areas in Turkey by Mr Shoukry.

A Turkish-Egyptian rapprochement could be part of a rapidly changing Middle East diplomatic landscape, with the region’s leading Arab and non-Arab powers stepping back from confrontations to try to settle their differences.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo. Reuters
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo. Reuters

Ankara has also been seeking to repair ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Also, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced last week they are restoring diplomatic ties severed since 2016.

Cairo, according to the Egyptian officials, has stepped up behind-the-scenes contacts with Tehran in recent months with a view to normalise relations that have been fraught since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

Mr Shoukry told reporters that he and his Turkish counterpart discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Syria, Libya and Iraq, as well as the impact on the region of last week's agreement by Saudi Arabia and Iran.

“We discussed how we can jointly deal with common challenges like terrorism and achieving stability in general,” he said.

Bolstering economic ties and encouraging investments were also discussed, said Mr Shoukry, who put the volume of annual bilateral trade at $9 billion and Turkish investments in Egypt at another $2.5 billion.

Cairo and Ankara support rival sides in Libya, a North African and energy-rich nation that has been wracked by violence and political instability since a popular uprising in 2011 toppled and killed long-time dictator Muammar Qaddafi.

Egypt, which shares a desert border with Libya, is demanding that Turkey withdraws military advisers it has sent to Libya to support the Tripoli-based government during fighting against eastern forces led by a Cairo ally, Field-Marshall Khalifa Haftar.

Egypt also opposes a maritime demarcation deal reached between Ankara and Tripoli last year that Egypt and its regional allies have said is illegal. In response, Egypt last year unilaterally set its maritime border with Libya in the Mediterranean.

Egypt, Greece and Cyprus see Turkey’s deployment of a drilling ship in the eastern Mediterranean as a challenge to their marine rights. AFP
Egypt, Greece and Cyprus see Turkey’s deployment of a drilling ship in the eastern Mediterranean as a challenge to their marine rights. AFP

Egypt is also seeking Turkey’s backing for, or at least neutrality on, international diplomatic efforts to end the North African nation’s decade-long schism between its eastern and western regions.

Turkey and Egypt will also have to defuse tensions in the east Mediterranean, where Egypt, Cyprus and Israel have found significant natural gas reserves in recent years and, together with other regional partners, are turning the area into a major regional energy centre.

Turkey has repeatedly sought to muscle in on the enterprise with illegal drilling, only to be reprimanded by the EU and US.

Cyprus and Greece, two close Egyptian allies, are at sharp odds with Turkey, which has occupied the northern part of Cyprus since 1974. Greece and Turkey have long-standing differences over maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.

Egypt is also opposed to what it sees as Turkey's interference in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.

A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate 

Scores in brief:

Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

What drives subscription retailing?

Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.

The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.

That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.

Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.

Results:

Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh810,000

UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0DJemma%20Eley%2C%20Maria%20Michailidou%2C%20Molly%20Fuller%2C%20Chloe%20Andrews%20(of%20Dubai%20College)%2C%20Eliza%20Petricola%2C%20Holly%20Guerin%2C%20Yasmin%20Craig%2C%20Caitlin%20Gowdy%20(Dubai%20English%20Speaking%20College)%2C%20Claire%20Janssen%2C%20Cristiana%20Morall%20(Jumeirah%20English%20Speaking%20School)%2C%20Tessa%20Mies%20(Jebel%20Ali%20School)%2C%20Mila%20Morgan%20(Cranleigh%20Abu%20Dhabi).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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Company%C2%A0profile
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A cheaper choice

Vanuatu: $130,000

Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.

Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.

Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.

Benefits:  No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

Most%20polluted%20cities%20in%20the%20Middle%20East
%3Cp%3E1.%20Baghdad%2C%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E2.%20Manama%2C%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dhahran%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E4.%20Kuwait%20City%2C%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E5.%20Ras%20Al%20Khaimah%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E6.%20Ash%20Shihaniyah%2C%20Qatar%3Cbr%3E7.%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E8.%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E9.%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E10.%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Wonder
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20EPD%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETamer%20Ruggli%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadine%20Labaki%2C%20Fanny%20Ardant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key developments

All times UTC 4

The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl

Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Price: Dh99,000

On sale: now

Company%20profile
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Updated: March 18, 2023, 2:17 PM