El-Sisi and Erdogan agree on steps to restore relations
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi congratulated his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on his re-election as president in a telephone conversation, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidential Liaison Office. It seems that Erdogan’s victory will open the way for the continuation of the process of full normalization of relations after efforts between the two countries to achieve rapprochement and close the chapter of differences, especially with the invitation to exchange ambassadors despite the presence of some outstanding files, such as Ankara’s intervention in a number of arenas and support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which Cairo classifies as terrorist.
El-Sisi expressed to Erdogan his “hope that the results of the presidential election will bring good to the Turkish people”, the statement said.
The two sides also discussed “steps that would deepen Turkish-Egyptian relations on all levels, foremost among them the economy,” the statement said.
The telephone conversation between the two leaders also focused on “discussions on regional issues of mutual interest,” the statement said.
According to the same source, the two presidents agreed to exchange ambassadors between Ankara and Cairo.
Egyptian presidential spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said the two leaders emphasized “the depth of historical ties between the two countries and the peoples of Egypt and Turkey.”
In a statement posted on their website, the Egyptian presidency said they “agreed to strengthen ties and co-operation between the two sides. In this context, the two presidents decided to immediately begin upgrading diplomatic relations between the two countries and exchange ambassadors.
Last month, the two countries agreed to appoint two ambassadors, despite Cairo’s insistence that Ankara withdraw its troops from Syria to ensure its territorial integrity and non-interference in areas such as Iraq and Libya.
“Ankara and Cairo are mounting efforts to improve ties that were severed following the 2013 ouster of Turkey’s ally, Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, and subsequent Turkish support for the Brotherhood’s arms.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri paid his first visit to Ankara after the devastating earthquake on February 6th. He stressed the need for a full normalization of relations before he pays another visit last month to confirm progress in the talks.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Cairo in March for the first time in 11 years.
The issue of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was classified by Cairo as a terrorist organization, remains one of the most controversial issues between the two countries. Turkey has recently closed some Muslim Brotherhood channels and banned pro-Brotherhood journalists from criticizing the Egyptian regime.
Efforts to restore relations with Turkey are under way to bolster economic cooperation as authorities seek to boost foreign investment and obtain foreign currency funding amid an unprecedented financial crisis.
Erdogan first shook hands with Egypt at the opening of the World Cup last November, years after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized el-Sisi and accused his regime of staging a coup.
