President Erdoğan went to the airport to welcome Sisi

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was present at the airport to welcome Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with an official ceremony. Following the bilateral meeting, the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting will be held, and a signing ceremony for agreements and a joint press conference will take place.

President Erdoğan will host an official dinner in honor of Sisi.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE ISSUED A STATEMENT

According to the statement made by the Presidential Communications Directorate, within the scope of the visit, the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, which was restructured in accordance with the Joint Declaration signed during Erdoğan's visit to Cairo on February 14, 2024, will be held under the chairmanship of the Presidents of the two countries.

TOPICS ON THE AGENDA

At the council meeting, Turkey-Egypt relations will be reviewed in all their aspects, and joint steps that can be taken in the coming period to further develop bilateral cooperation will be discussed.

In addition to bilateral relations, an exchange of views will be held on current regional and global issues, primarily the Israeli attacks in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.

STATEMENTS FROM SISI

Sisi, who came to Ankara upon the official invitation of President Erdoğan, stated in a post on his X account that he was happy to visit Turkey and to have the opportunity to meet with President Erdoğan.

Emphasizing the deep-rooted historical relations between Egypt and Turkey, Sisi pointed out that there have been strong political ties between Turkey and Egypt since the founding of the Republic by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Sisi stated, "My visit today (to Ankara) and President Erdoğan's previous visit to Cairo reflect the will to start a new era of friendship and cooperation between Egypt and Turkey."

Egyptian President Sisi pointed out that Turkey and Egypt meet the expectations of the brotherly peoples of the two countries based on their important roles in regional and international circles.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

In 2013, the Egyptian army, led by Sisi, who was the Minister of Defense at the time, seized power in a coup. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who reacted very harshly to the military coup that ousted President Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, had used the terms "murderer and putschist" for Sisi many times.

After years of severed diplomatic relations, Erdoğan and Sisi met for the first time in 2022 at the opening ceremony of the World Cup held in Qatar.

Erdoğan, who had burned bridges with Cairo after the 2013 coup, visited Egypt in February after a 12-year hiatus and met with Sisi.

News Source: 12punto