The return of ambassadors and the summit between el-Sisi and Erdogan.. Egypt and Turkey initiate steps towards reconciliation
Friendly diplomatic handshake between the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Turkey inaugurates steps on the path of restoring relations between the two countries and the start of a phase of rapprochement after years of separation.
A path is drawn by the statements of the Foreign Ministers of Egypt Sameh Shoukry and Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu during a press conference held by the two sides after their meeting.
“Our relationship with Turkey is long-standing and we are very proud of it,” Shoukry said, referring to Cairo’s efforts to “normalize relations with Turkey on all levels”.
Shoukry described the talks with him as “profound” and said they covered bilateral and regional relations.
The Egyptian minister expressed Cairo’s aspiration to continue close communication with the Turkish side, stressing that diplomatic relations between the two countries “have never been broken.”
“We are looking forward to serving the interests of the people of Egypt and Turkey,” Shoukry said. “We are working to restore diplomatic representation between the two countries.”
According to Shoukri, the talks also touched on the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on resuming relations between the two countries.
“Improving relationships”
The Turkish Foreign Minister said his visit to Cairo was “aimed at improving relations between the two countries”.
Cavusoglu, speaking at the same conference, praised Egypt’s “role and assistance in the wake of the earthquake disaster” in southern Turkey, which claimed tens of thousands of lives.
He confirmed Ankara’s desire to strengthen its relations with Egypt, adding, “We are working on holding a meeting between the Egyptian and Turkish presidents.”
Cavusoglu noted that diplomatic relations with Egypt will be upgraded to the ambassadorial level as soon as possible.
In February, Egypt’s foreign minister paid a visit to Turkey following a devastating earthquake in ten southern states that killed tens of thousands.
At the time, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs said that his country “will stay with its sister Turkey” and that relations between the two countries would be raised to the best level.
Observers considered the visit as a new step on the road to restoring normal relations between Ankara and Cairo, the most important stop of which was the handshake meeting between the two heads of state last year.
At the time, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that “the development of relations between Turkey and Egypt is in the interest of both parties,” stressing that Egypt is an important country for the Arab world, the Middle East and Palestine.
