Erdoğan’s party flirts with Egypt again : Our relationship is deeply rooted and our approach is positive

Turkey has continued Cairo’s rhetoric to turn the page on disagreements by reiterating that relations with Egypt are “deeply rooted”.

The courtship this time was made by Ömer Çelik, a spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to the Turkish News Agency.

The two countries intelligence services have continued their talks on security issues, Çelik said, despite the rupture in relations.

He pointed out that “the talks that started between our intelligence services have moved to the framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

He added : “From now on, steps will be taken to enable us to focus on concrete issues through mutual talks and consultations.”

He noted that Turkey and Egypt have matters to do on bilateral relations, discussions on Libya, its future, the Mediterranean Sea and the future of relations between the two countries, stressing that Ankara has a “positive approach” in this regard.

“For 8 years, relations between Egypt and Turkey have been in a state of rupture over several issues, most notably Ankara’s Mediterranean policy, support for the Brotherhood, and intervention in Libya.”

Before Turkey’s recent willingness to work to rebuild relations with Egypt, observers saw it as an attempt to overcome the differences that left Ankara largely isolated in the Arab world.

Last month, a Turkish delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sadat Unal went to Cairo on 5 and 6 May, in the first visit of its kind since 2013, and held “exploratory” talks with Egyptian officials led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Sanad Loza to discuss rapprochement and normalization of relations.

However, as Turkish officials continue their attempts to woo Egypt back into relations, a systematic attack by the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood in Istanbul on Cairo has returned.