Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Saudi Arabia and Egypt over the next two days to discuss regional developments, the Turkish Presidency has announced.
In Riyadh on Tuesday, Mr Erdogan is holding talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “to discuss additional steps to deepen co-operation between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, along with regional and global developments”, the Presidency's head of communications said.
Turkey and Saudi Arabia have strengthened their long-standing relations through an increasing number of high-level reciprocal visits in recent years.
In a phone call with Prince Mohammed last month, Mr Erdogan said Turkey was ready to support dialogue between Yemeni factions. Turkey and Saudi Arabia both condemned Israel's recognition of Somalia's breakaway territory of Somaliland in December.
In Egypt on Wednesday, Mr Erdogan will co-chair the second meeting of the Turkey–Egypt High-Level Strategic Co-operation Council with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
“Bilateral issues will be discussed, and views will also be exchanged on regional and international developments, with particular focus on Palestine,” the Turkish Presidency said.
Mr Erdogan is also scheduled to take part in a Turkey–Egypt business forum during his visit. Alarmed by Israel's expansionism, Egypt has moved in recent months to bolster its standing in a turbulent Middle East, forging close ties with US ally and Nato member Turkey.
Egypt's relations with Turkey became fraught when Islamist Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's president at the time, was removed in 2013 by the military, then led by Mr El Sisi. But relations improved after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023.
