ABU DHABI: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan embarked on an official two-day visit to Abu Dhabi on Monday, the first in nearly a decade, to open a new page in relations between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after years of tensions.
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) welcomed Erdoğan upon his arrival in Abu Dhabi with an official ceremony.
Dialogue and cooperation between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is important for the peace and stability of the entire region, Erdoğan underlined prior to the trip.
“We do not consider the security and stability of all brotherly countries in the Gulf region separate from our own,” he told a news conference at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul before departing on his first visit since recovering from COVID-19 after testing positive early February.
“We aim to improve the momentum to bring back our relations to the level they deserve. During my visit, we will take steps that will shape the next 50 years of our friendship and brotherhood with the UAE,” he said.
Noting that he last visited the UAE in 2013, Erdoğan said the countries ushered in a new era in bilateral relations with MBZ’s visit to Ankara last November.
“The complementary nature of the two economies points to a potential far beyond the current figures. The purpose of our visit is to quickly realize this potential,” Erdogan said, adding that he believes Ankara and Abu Dhabi “will go a long way in this direction.”
With the volume of trade approaching $8 billion (TL 108.55 billion), the UAE is among Turkey’s leading trading partners, he said.
“The UAE is the 10th largest market of the overseas contracting sector in Turkey,” he said, noting that the UAE also makes “significant contributions to the dynamic investment environment” in Turkey.
“Turkish construction companies in the UAE have so far undertaken 141 projects worth $13 billion,” he added.
Ahead of the president’s visit the Turkish flag and the phrase “hoş geldiniz,” meaning “welcome” in Turkish, were projected onto the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the UAE.
During the visit, all aspects of bilateral relations will be discussed, including opportunities to enhance cooperation and regional and international developments. Erdoğan is also expected to visit EXPO 2020 Dubai, where Turkey’s national day will be celebrated.
Erdoğan and MBZ will attend a signing ceremony for a dozen agreements following one-on-one meetings between the delegations.
The agreements will cover an array of fields, including investment, defense, transportation, agriculture, health and media. -Agencies
