Turkiye, Egypt work to reappoint ambassadors

ANKARA — Turkiye and Egypt will soon announce the reappointment of ambassadors, their foreign ministers said in Ankara on Thursday, as the two regional powers put years of tensions behind them and mend ties.

Speaking to reporters in the Turkish capital, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Turkish counterpart also said both sides were working toward a possible meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

"You (journalists) often ask me, 'When will you appoint ambassadors again?'" Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. "We have discussed this issue today and we are taking concrete steps to raise the level of representation to the level of ambassador."

Cavusoglu added that Turkiye and Egypt would announce the reappointment of ambassadors in a joint statement "in the upcoming period".

The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Turkiye's efforts to build bridges with regional countries and end its international isolation amid an economic downturn. Turkiye has also recently repaired its ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Last month, Cavusoglu became the highest-ranking Turkish official to visit Egypt in over a decade. In February, Shoukry toured quakehit areas in Turkiye and Syria to show solidarity with the two nations.

Turkiye and Egypt will work closely on regional issues, particularly on Libya and Syria, Cavusoglu said.

Bringing about permanent peace and stability in Syria is important to both Turkiye and Egypt, said Cavusoglu, adding that the two countries have agreed to work closely and exchange views in this regard.

Shoukry also said Egypt and Turkiye have a common understanding regarding Libya.

"We agree on the establishment of a government that will reflect the will of the people and preserve Libya's territorial integrity," he said.

Ankara and Cairo will also coordinate on the Palestinian cause, Shoukry added.

Shoukry's visit to Ankara is part of joint efforts by Turkiye and Egypt to improve bilateral relations following a decade of political tension and diplomatic rifts.

Their ties turned sour in late 2013, when the two countries expelled each other's ambassadors after former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi was ousted in July that year and his Turkiye-backed Muslim Brotherhood group was outlawed.

The two countries also sparred over a range of other issues, including the war in Libya where they backed rival sides and maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The symbolic handshake between Erdogan and al-Sisi in November on the sidelines of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar accelerated normalization efforts between the two countries.

After deadly earthquakes jolted southeastern Turkiye in early February, al-Sisi quickly extended his condolences to Erdogan over the phone and sent relief aid to quake-hit zones in Turkiye.

Agencies - Xinhua