Erdoğan and Sisi hold joint press conference after 11 years

President Erdoğan was welcomed in Cairo, which he visited for the first time in 11 years, by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whom he had previously accused of being a "murderer" and a "coup plotter." An official ceremony was held for Erdoğan at the Al-Ittihadiya Palace.

The two leaders held a joint press conference following bilateral and inter-delegation meetings.

SISI: EGYPT AND TURKEY, BY JOINING HANDS, WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE VERY GOOD RESULTS REGARDING GAZA

Speaking first, Egyptian President Sisi expressed his satisfaction with Erdoğan's visit to his country after more than a decade, stating, "We are opening a new page between the two countries."

Noting that they discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip with Erdoğan, Sisi said, "I agree with the President of Turkey on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the de-escalation of tension in the West Bank."

Emphasizing cooperation with Turkey, Sisi said, "Egypt and Turkey, by joining hands, will be able to achieve very good results regarding Gaza as well."

SISI MAY COME TO TURKEY IN APRIL

Sisi summarized his remarks as follows:

"We are determined to use the weight that both countries possess in the region for the establishment of peace. Egypt and Turkey, by joining hands, will achieve good results regarding Gaza as well.

Israel is allowing only a very small amount of humanitarian aid to enter. The peace process must begin as soon as possible for the start of a peace process and the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital within the 1967 borders.

Regarding Libya, we agree on the need to hold parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible and to establish the unity of the army. In this context, it is important to establish calm within the Middle East and for countries in the region that have conflicts among themselves to put these conflicts aside and use their resources in the most appropriate way."

Sisi also added, "I look forward to responding to President Erdoğan's invitation to visit Turkey this coming April."

In his speech here, Erdoğan summarized his remarks as follows:

"In response to the kind visit of the esteemed President, I am very pleased to be in Cairo again after a long period—that is, 12 years.

I would like to convey my get-well wishes to my brothers in Erzincan due to yesterday's accident. Unfortunately, 9 of our workers were left under the soil in a landslide that occurred yesterday at a private mine. Search and rescue efforts for these 9 brothers are ongoing. We have sent our Minister of Interior and our Minister of Energy to Erzincan. We are also receiving regular information from them. There are 827 expert personnel in the region, 339 of whom are search and rescue personnel. In addition, 626 vehicles, 32 construction machines, 97 lighting towers, 6 drones, 44 generators, and other specially equipped vehicles are supporting the work at the accident site. We will continue the work until we reach our workers. I pray that God protects our country from all kinds of accidents, troubles, and disasters."

"I TOLD MY DEAR BROTHER THAT I EXPECT HIM IN ANKARA AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY"

We have a shared history and culture with Egypt that spans over a thousand years and is intertwined. With the strength we draw from this deep-rooted heritage, we are striving to raise Turkey-Egypt relations to the level they deserve. We see that the same strong will exists on the Egyptian side as well. We have elevated our High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council to the level of Presidents. I told my dear brother that I expect him in Ankara at the first opportunity to hold our council meeting. I believe this visit will be a new turning point in our relations. Trade and economy form the locomotive of our cooperation. In our consultations today, we agreed to increase the trade volume to 15 billion dollars in a short time. We are also determined to increase our investments, which are approaching 3 billion dollars. In our meetings, we exchanged ideas on additional steps we can take in this direction. The defense industry is another area where we have very serious potential. Egypt is making significant investments in the defense sector. I believe that by joining forces with Egypt, we will develop joint projects. We are also evaluating opportunities to develop our cooperation in the fields of LNG, nuclear, and renewable energy. We will make efforts to further strengthen existing ties in the fields of tourism, education, and culture.

The Yunus Emre Institute in Cairo is the branch with the highest interest in Turkish language courses in the world. It is pleasing that 22 thousand Egyptian students registered for courses to learn Turkish last year.

"THE HUMANITARIAN DRAMA IN GAZA IS AT THE TOP OF OUR AGENDA"

The humanitarian drama taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza, was at the top of our agenda. More than 28 thousand of our Palestinian brothers, mostly children and women, have been martyred in Israeli attacks, and nearly 70 thousand innocent Palestinians have been injured. Mosques, churches, hospitals, schools, and UN buildings, which should not be targeted even in war, have been bombed. The Netanyahu administration recklessly continues its policy of occupation, destruction, and massacre despite all reactions. Our priority is the establishment of a ceasefire as soon as possible and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza without obstruction. To date, we have dispatched over 34 thousand tons of aid materials to the region from our country by planes and ships. I would like to express here, in particular, the support of the Egyptian authorities in the delivery of aid. I thank the Egyptian Red Crescent, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, and all relevant Egyptian institutions. In addition to our humanitarian aid, we have brought more than 700 Palestinian brothers, including their companions, to Turkey via Egypt for their treatment. Our experts are working on the establishment of a field hospital inside Gaza. We trust in the support of our Egyptian brothers for the hospital to become operational as soon as possible.

"WE ARE READY TO WORK WITH EGYPT FOR THE RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION OF GAZA IN THE MEDIUM TERM"

Attempts to exile the people of Gaza from their lands are null and void for us. The de-population of Gaza is unacceptable. We appreciate and support Egypt's resolute and determined stance on this issue. The Netanyahu administration must refrain from moving its massacres to Rafah, the last point where Gazan civilians have taken refuge. The Islamic world and the international community, especially the UN Security Council, must not allow such madness that will end in genocide. We will continue to be in cooperation and solidarity with our Egyptian brothers to stop the bloodshed in Gaza. In the medium term, we are also ready to work with Egypt for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

My dear brothers, in our meetings with the esteemed President, we had the opportunity to evaluate the issues in Libya, Sudan, and Somalia. Our support for the unity, togetherness, territorial integrity, and peace of these 3 brotherly countries is full. We do not want to see conflict, tension, or crisis in Africa, the Middle East, or any other part of our heartland. We are determined to increase our contacts with Egypt at every level for the establishment of peace and stability in our region."