Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Saturday from Cairo preparations for a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to end a decade of estrangement between the two countries.
Cavusoglu said during a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo today, "We want to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries at the highest level."
"It is possible that we will disagree in the future, but we will do our best to avoid severing relations again," he said, noting that his country will work to re-exchange ambassadors with Egypt in the coming period, with serious political will to develop relations.
The Turkish minister stressed that "after the Turkish elections" - including the presidential elections on May 14 - "our president will meet President Sisi."
Cavusoglu said that the Turkish Ministry of Defense invited the Egyptian side to participate in 3 military exercises that will be held on the territory of his country, noting that such events would also enhance joint activities between the two countries.
He added that there are many steps that need to be taken between the two countries on various fronts, from the economy to energy to politics.
Cavusoglu explained that the competent committees of the two countries will continue their work on the files discussed during today's meeting, until the next meeting.
For his part, Shoukry stressed the existence of "political will of the presidents of the two countries aimed at normalizing relations between them," and described the talks with his Turkish counterpart as important and transparent, and said, "We have solid ground, and we are confident that we will restore relations with Turkey strongly."
Erdogan (right) shakes hands with Sisi on the sidelines of the opening of the World Cup in Qatar (Anatolia)
American Welcome
The United States welcomed the visit, and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter on Saturday that it was "an important step towards stability and prosperity in the region."
Cavusoglu received Shoukry in February in Turkey after the devastating earthquake that killed 48,500 in that country, the first visit by Egypt's top diplomat to Turkey since ties were severed.
Presidents Erdogan and Sisi spoke by phone the day after the quake and shook hands last November during the opening ceremony of the soccer World Cup in Qatar.
At the trade level, exchanges between the two countries have not stopped, increasing from $4.4 billion in 2007 to $11.1 billion in 2020, according to the Carnegie Center for Research, so that in 2022 Ankara was the first importer of Egyptian products worth $4 billion.