DM Monitoring
RIYADH: Turkey and Saudi Arabia are striving to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations to start a new era, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early Friday.
“As two brotherly countries with historical, cultural and human ties, we are striving to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations between us and to start a new era,” said Erdogan on Twitter. Increased cooperation with Saudi Arabia in health, energy, food security, agricultural technologies, the defence industry and finance is in the common interest, said Erdogan, adding the two countries have serious cooperation potential in renewable and clean energy technologies.
Erdogan also said that Turkey attaches great importance to the security and stability of the Gulf region.
“We express on every occasion that we attach as much importance to the stability and security of our brothers in the Gulf region as our own,” he said. “We underline that we are against all forms of terrorism and that we attach importance to cooperation with the countries in our region against terrorism,” he added. “I believe we will take our relations to a level beyond what they were previously,” said Erdogan, adding his visit during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan “will open the doors of a new era with our friend and brother Saudi Arabia”.
King Salman received President Erdogan Thursday evening with an official ceremony in the city of Jeddah.
The two leaders held a closed-door meeting at Al-Salam Royal Palace. Erdogan also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Earlier, the Turkish president arrived in Saudi Arabia for a two-day working visit.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday he hopes his visit to Jeddah will herald a new era in ties with “brotherly” Saudi Arabia, as the regional rivals hold the first high-level visit in years after intense efforts to repair strained ties. Erdogan’s visit, which his office said was at the invitation of Saudi King Salman, marks the culmination of a months-long drive to mend ties. Analysts and officials say Saudi funding could help Turkey alleviate its economic woes, including soaring inflation, ahead of tough elections for Erdogan next year.
Speaking to reporters before departing for Jeddah, Erdogan said Thursday’s visit was “the manifestation of our common will” to improve ties and strengthen political, military and cultural relations, adding he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“On the occasion of my visit, we will review all aspects of Turkey-Saudi Arabia ties,” he said, adding it would be mutually beneficial to boost cooperation on areas including health, energy, food security, defence industry, and finance.
“With common efforts, I believe we will carry our ties even beyond where they were in the past,” he said.
In conciliatory remarks that stand in sharp contrast to the war of words in the aftermath of the Khashoggi murder, Erdogan cited the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramazan as a fitting time for the visit, saying it was the month of “replenishing and strengthening brotherly ties”.
