Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Saudi Arabia on April 28.

This is his first visit since the macabre assassination in Istanbul of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. This affair had cooled the ties between the two rival regional powers.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan must meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

His visit comes at a time when Turkey is facing a serious economic crisis.

The Turkish lira has seen its value melt by 44% against the dollar in 2021, causing inflation to soar to 61.1% year on year in March.

This situation has prompted the Turkish head of state to soften his ties with former rivals, such as Egypt and Israel, and especially the oil-rich Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Before leaving Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped the visit would "open a new era" in Turkish-Saudi relations.

"Enhancing cooperation in the areas of defense and finance is in our mutual interest," he added. 

Khashoggi case returned

A Turkish official told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that a meeting is planned with King Salman, which should be attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who holds the reins of power.

In 2018, the Khashoggi affair cooled relations between the two countries, already tense since 2017 and the blockade decreed by Saudi Arabia of Qatar, an ally of Ankara.

The trial of 26 Saudi nationals in July 2020, accused by Turkey of having assassinated Jamal Khashoggi, had opened in Istanbul, in the absence of the interested parties.

Five were sentenced to death, since commuted, and eight accused to terms of between seven and 20 years in prison.

But in early April, Turkish justice finally decided to get rid of the Khashoggi case by sending it back to the Saudi authorities.

Regional warming

The visit of the Turkish president is considered a victory by Saudi officials, eager to turn the page, according to Saudi political analyst Ali Shihabi.

"Mr. Erdogan has been isolated and has paid a high economic price," he told AFP.

Turkish president "needs Saudi Arabia's trade and tourism flows"

For its part, Riyadh seeks to have it "by its side" on a number of regional issues and could even "buy arms from Turkey".

With AFP

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