by Marwa Yahya

CAIRO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's rare visit to Türkiye was important and sent a positive signal about mending bilateral ties and advancing coordination in regional affairs, Egyptian experts told Xinhua.

Al-Sisi arrived in Ankara on Wednesday for an official visit, the first of its kind in 12 years. The visit reciprocated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's trip to Cairo in February, the first by Erdogan since 2012, as the two countries seek to normalize relations after more than a decade of animosity.

A meeting was held between al-Sisi and Erdogan on Wednesday. The two presidents also co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, after which the ministers of both countries signed a series of cooperation agreements.

In a joint press conference held on Wednesday, al-Sisi expressed hope that his visit would pave the way for "a new phase" of cooperation and integration between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Erdogan said the two countries have agreed to enhance bilateral relations with a win-win approach. He highlighted the goal of "increasing bilateral trade volume to 15 billion U.S. dollars in the next five years," adding that both sides have affirmed their willingness to improve relations in various areas, including trade, defense, health, and energy.

On Thursday, Egyptian Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said during meetings with Turkish transportation and finance ministers that forming the council constitutes "a new and active beginning in bilateral ties."

"President al-Sisi's visit to Türkiye was important and successful," Tarek Fahmy, a professor of political science at Cairo University, told Xinhua. The two presidents are open to promoting political and economic relations, he said.

Noting the significance of the timing of al-Sisi's visit amid rising regional tensions, Fahmy said the visit represented "a new phase" in bilateral ties, moving towards "strategic cooperation."

In particular, the two leaders' co-chairing the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was "a qualitative leap at the strategic level," with regional impacts, especially concerning Gaza and Libya, being significant, he said. Warming bilateral ties could enhance coordination between Egypt and Türkiye on addressing regional issues, he added.

Waleed Gaballah, a member of the Egyptian Association for Political Economy, Statistics and Legislation, told Xinhua that al-Sisi's visit aimed at promoting consensus and consultation on various issues. The visit sent a positive message to Turkish investors in the Egyptian market, Gaballah added.

Al-Sisi's visit signals a new era of trade, economic, and political coordination between the two countries, and will positively impact efforts to resolve some regional problems, said Ezzat Saad, director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs. "There is strong willingness from both sides to address issues in Libya, Palestine, Sudan, Somalia, and to maintain regional security in general," Saad told Xinhua.

Coordination between Egypt and Türkiye on achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is "a necessity beyond the scope of the United States, which has monopolized the settlement process with no real breakthrough so far," Saad added.

Egypt and Türkiye had been at odds over the past decade, mainly due to the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and the subsequent banning of his Türkiye-backed Muslim Brotherhood group, which led both countries to expel each other's ambassadors.

A thaw in the long-frozen bilateral ties began in 2020 when Ankara initiated a diplomatic effort to reduce tensions with its former regional adversaries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Last year, Ankara and Cairo mutually reappointed ambassadors. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)