Egyptian top diplomat due in Ankara to discuss Syria, Palestine

Egyptian top diplomat due in Ankara to discuss Syria, Palestine

ANKARA
Egyptian top diplomat due in Ankara to discuss Syria, Palestine

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will pay a one-day visit to Ankara on Feb. 4 to discuss the recent developments in the Middle East, particularly the implementation of the truce between Israel and Hamas and efforts to rebuild a new Syria.

Abdelatty will be hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish diplomatic sources told media, recalling that the two were in close contact recently.

Fidan and Abdelatty will review all aspects of the Turkish-Egyptian bilateral ties, the planning of the high-level strategic cooperation council meeting that will take place in 2026 as well as regional developments in Gazza, Syria, Horn of Africa, Libya and Sahel.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the diplomatic ties between the two nations, and Fidan will reiterate Türkiye’s will to further advance ties.

Accordingly, he will stress the importance of the encouragement of investments in line with the mutual target of increasing the trade volume to $15 billion.

On the regional developments, Fidan is expected to highlight the Turkish support to the reconstruction of Gaza, resolving the problem through the two-state solution. He will also underline that the cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt will continue for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians in Gaza.

The Turkish and Egyptian ministers will also discuss the developments in Syria. Fidan will underscore the importance of continued engagement with the new leadership in Syria for the sake of the stability and prosperity of the country after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Clearing Syria of terrorist organizations and launching joint efforts to combat the presence of PKK, YPG and ISIL in Syria will be on Fidan’s agenda, the sources said.

The ministers will also exchange views on the steps they can take together for regional stability and prosperity, they added.

Türkiye and Egypt have developed their ties recently after exchanges of visits by the two country’s presidents Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the past year. Their policies on the regional issues overlap and pave the way for intensified engagement, the sources underlined.

In the meantime, Fidan exchanged a phone conversation with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, the sources said.

The two top diplomats discussed the developments in Gaza and Syria, sources informed, without giving details.

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