Erdogan starts his tour in the Gulf countries

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has embarked on a three-day Gulf tour in an attempt to expand economic relations and enhance reconciliation with Arab countries after years of diplomatic crises.

Comprehensive negotiations

An official from his office in Ankara told “The National” international newspaper that Erdogan is visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time today, Monday, where he is expected to meet with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The official added that Erdogan is scheduled to visit Doha on Tuesday and hold talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim, and then visit Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for discussions with the President, Sheikh Mohammed.

The official said, “Comprehensive negotiations are expected on all aspects of bilateral relations with the three countries, especially projects in the economic and investment fields.”

Enhancing relations

Experts say that Turkish President Erdogan’s visit to the Gulf aims to enhance economic relations, according to The National newspaper.

The newspaper added that the visit will work on enhancing existing cooperation in various sectors and will include discussions revolving around global and regional issues, exchange of ideas, and the talks will address developments in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, and Palestine.

The source mentioned that the Turkish president will be accompanied by a delegation of senior officials.

Last week, Erdogan stated that the tour would provide him with an opportunity to see the support that the Gulf countries would personally provide to Turkey. He said, “There are commitments from the Gulf countries during our previous meetings to inject significant investments into Turkey, and we will finalize the details during our upcoming tour.”

Erdogan also mentioned that top Turkish officials had visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE to prepare for his tour.

Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Central Bank Governor Hafız Geyik Erkan visited Saudi Arabia last week, and Erdogan is scheduled to visit Northern Cyprus on Thursday after concluding his visit to the Gulf.