Turkey, Egypt ink 17 deals as Erdogan hosts Sisi on first visit to Ankara

ANKARA — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday hosted Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during the Egyptian leader's first-ever Turkey visit, which saw the inking of 17 cooperation deals between the two countries after more than a decade of hostilities.

A large delegation accompanied Sisi, who arrived in Ankara for a daylong visit after the two held their first official meeting in Cairo last February.

“My first visit to this friendly country is an indication that the relations between the two countries will develop much further,” Sisi told journalists during a joint press conference following roughly three hours of talks between the leaders and the two countries’ delegations.

The two countries signed the deals to deepen their cooperation on an array of issues, from energy to culture. 

“My visit to Cairo has marked a new turning point in our relations,” Erdogan said. “We are advancing our improving relations even further with the return visit of my dear brother,” he added. 

The language represents a turnaround for Erdogan. Back in 2013, he vowed never to shake hands with Sisi over the ouster of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-led government at the time. A decade on, the two countries normalized their diplomatic relations as part of Ankara’s efforts to repair its economic and political ties with regional countries, namely Egypt as well as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey’s efforts to be involved in regional energy projects top its expectations in its bilateral relations with Egypt, with which — among the three countries — it took the longest time for relations to improve. Capitalizing on its strategic location, Turkey seeks to take part in regional projects that aim to carry Egyptian natural gas to Europe amid Western efforts to decrease their dependence on Russia.

“We are eager to enhance our energy cooperation with Egypt, especially in natural gas and nuclear energy,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan also reiterated the mutual goal of increasing the two countries’ mutual trade volume to $15 billion from the current $10 billion. Turkey stands among Egypt’s top five trade partners, while direct foreign investments of Turkish firms in Egypt have increased to $3 billion in the past year, according to the Turkish president.

Narrowing gaps in foreign policy

The two leaders signed a joint declaration reaffirming their will to increase coordination on a series of regional issues, including Gaza, Libya and the Horn of Africa — a sign of narrowing gaps between Ankara and Cairo’s foreign policy rifts, particularly in the Libyan conflict where the two capitals had supported rival groups in the country’s civil war.

“We must work together, especially in addressing regional issues, to prevent humanitarian crises,” Sisi said.

In a bid to pave the way for its regional fence-mending, Ankara has abandoned policies overtly supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which was designated a terrorist organization by Cairo and several Gulf capitals.