Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the handshake that took place between him and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Qatar on Sunday was another step towards further normalisation between the two countries.
Erdogan added that further actions would follow to rebuild relations between Cairo and Ankara.
Furthermore, the Turkish president said he wanted the meetings with Egypt to be at a higher level, stressing that: “the ties established in the past between the Turkish and Egyptian peoples are very important for us. What prevents it from being so again? We have provided proof of our good intentions.”
Erdogan’s statements were made on his return flight from Qatar, where he attended the opening of the World Cup
“Ankara’s only request from Cairo is to change its attitude towards Turkey’s situation in the Mediterranean.”
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said that President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi shook hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to confirm the depth of the historical ties between the two countries and peoples.
He added that it was agreed that this would be the beginning of the development of bilateral relations between the two sides.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since 2013.
And yet, Egypt and Turkey have held several official rounds in order to restore relations to normalcy after years of tension, however, the two sides are yet to reach a settlement on the existing points of disagreement between the two countries.
In previous statements, Erdogan said there was no reason not to hold high-level talks with Egypt, as Ankara’s efforts to mend relations with Cairo are still at a standstill.
