Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (right) and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan (agencies)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Egypt today, Wednesday, to meet with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in a visit that is the first of its kind, and the situation in the Gaza Strip tops the agenda of their discussions.
Erdogan is accompanied on his visit to Egypt by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Treasury and Finance Mehmet Simsek, Defense Yasar Guler, Health Fahrettin Koca, and Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kajar.
This is Erdogan's first visit to Egypt, after Ankara and Cairo raised the level of their relations by appointing two ambassadors last year on July 4 of last year.
Former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had previously made a visit to Egypt on March 18 last year, which was the first of its kind by a Turkish foreign minister in 11 years.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is scheduled to receive Erdogan with an official ceremony at the “Ittihadiya Palace” in the capital, Cairo. The two presidents are expected to hold a bilateral meeting and another at the delegation level, after which a joint press conference.
Erdogan said that the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip would top the agenda of his talks with his Egyptian counterpart, adding in a speech broadcast on Turkish television the day before Monday after he chaired a cabinet meeting, “We will discuss various issues, including the economy, trade, tourism, energy, and defense, with Mr. Sisi.”
Erdogan arrived in the UAE at dawn on Tuesday on an official visit, during which he held bilateral meetings and participated in the World Government Summit.
The Turkish President left the Emirates, and was seen off at Dubai International Airport by the UAE Minister of Economy, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the Turkish Ambassador Tugay Tuncher, the Consul in Dubai, Onur Çaylan, and a number of other officials.
Source: Agencies