Saudi crown prince seeks to boost ties in Turkey trip

ANKARA－Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud was visiting Turkey for the first time in years on Wednesday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the two regional heavyweights press ahead with efforts to improve ties.

In April, Erdogan went to Saudi Arabia after a monthslong drive to mend relations between the regional powers, including dropping the trial over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's 2018 killing in Istanbul.

He held one-on-one talks with Prince Mohammed while he was there, raising the possibility of Saudi investments that could help relieve Turkey's beleaguered economy.

Erdogan said last week that he and Prince Mohammed, Riyadh's de facto leader, would discuss at what level they can take ties during talks in Ankara.

The visit is expected to bring "a full normalization and a restoration of the pre-crisis period", a senior Turkish official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "A new era will begin."

Agreements on energy, economy and security would be signed during Prince Mohammed's visit, while a plan was also in the works for Saudi funds to enter capital markets in Turkey, the official added.

Ties between Ankara and Riyadh cratered after Khashoggi's killing in 2018 at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Erdogan at the time blamed it on the "highest levels" of the Saudi government. Prince Mohammed denied any involvement in the killing.

Prince Mohammed is on his first tour outside the Gulf region in over three years, which included visits to Jordan and Egypt.

Economic cooperation

King Abdullah II of Jordan held talks on Tuesday with visiting Prince Mohammed on ways to foster ties and economic cooperation.

The king and the Saudi crown prince stressed the historic ties between the two countries and voiced keenness to strengthen them at all levels. They also talked about ways to enhance economic cooperation and Saudi Arabia's possible investment in Jordan.

The Jordanian king stressed Saudi Arabia's key role in supporting Arab and Islamic causes, highlighted its efforts for achieving peace, and affirmed Jordan's full support for Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi crown prince said Saudi Arabia is keen to boost coordination with Jordan, adding that there will be increased cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides also talked about regional issues including the Palestinian issue and the right of Palestinians in having an independent state.

Also on Tuesday, companies from the two countries signed a series of agreements to boost cooperation in several sectors.

During the crown prince's visit to Egypt, the Egyptian government announced that Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed 14 investment deals in Cairo valued at $7.7 billion, covering the fields of food and pharmaceutical industries, infrastructure, renewable energy, green hydrogen, e-commerce, digital finance and information services.

Agencies - Xinhua