Turkey and Egypt Vow To Rebuild Gaza, Strengthen Ties During Erdogan’s Visit
In his first visit to Egypt since 2012, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Wednesday that Turkey is prepared to collaborate with Cairo in rebuilding Gaza. The statement came during a joint news conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza was a primary focus of their discussions. Erdoğan emphasized Turkey’s commitment to working closely with Egypt to halt the violence in Gaza. “We will continue to cooperate and stand in solidarity with our Egyptian brothers to put an end to the bloodshed in Gaza,” Erdogan stated. He further expressed Turkey’s intention to intensify dialogue with Egypt across all levels to foster peace and stability in the region.
In addition to peace efforts, Erdoğan pledged to elevate bilateral trade with Egypt to $15 billion in the short term and highlighted ongoing discussions on energy and defense cooperation between the two nations.
Relations between Ankara and Cairo soured in 2013 following the ousting of Mohamed Morsi, an ally of Turkey and Egypt’s first democratically elected president, by then-army chief Sisi. However, efforts to normalize relations have seen progress, with the mutual appointment of ambassadors last year and Turkey’s recent offer to supply Egypt with armed drones.
Erdoğan’s diplomatic endeavor in Cairo is part of a broader initiative to ease tensions with regional countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, despite recent disagreements with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the conflict in Gaza. This visit coincides with ongoing, though yet inconclusive, talks aimed at achieving a truce in Gaza, with Egypt playing a pivotal role in the negotiations.
