Turkish President Erdogan visits Saudi Arabia to deepen cooperation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking a continued thaw in once-frosty relations.
RIYADH: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday for his first visit to the kingdom in over two years.
His trip underscores the steady recovery in ties between the two regional powers, who are now cooperating on diplomatic issues including support for Gaza and Syria’s new government.
Erdogan is set to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the visit.
The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported the leaders would discuss “deepening cooperation” between their countries, as well as regional and global developments.
The visit comes days after two sources told AFP that Turkey would not be joining a mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had said earlier this month that Ankara had entered talks aimed at joining the alliance.
Relations were severely strained after Saudi agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Turkey angered Riyadh by vigorously pursuing the case and briefing international media on the murder’s details.
Erdogan will travel to Cairo on Wednesday following his Saudi talks.
The Riyadh meeting also precedes potential talks in Turkey between the United States and Iran.
An Arab official told AFP that those talks could occur on February 6, after Tehran called for a restart of nuclear negotiations.
Erdogan has emerged as a key mediator in diplomatic efforts to find a resolution between Washington and Tehran.
