Egypt extends condolences to families of victims of train-bus collision in Turkey

CAIRO – 6 September 2021: Egypt extended condolences on Sunday to the families of the victims of a train-minibus collision in Turkey, which left many people dead and injured.

“The Arab Republic of Egypt extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims of this tragic incident and wishes the injured a speedy recovery,” a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry read.

A freight train collision with a minibus in Tekirdag province in northwest Turkey has killed six people and wounded seven others.

Exploratory talks

While Egypt and Turkey have strained their bilateral relations over the past seven years, they have been engaged in exploratory talks this year to bolster their ties.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Hamdi Loza will start a two-day visit to Ankara on September 7, at an invitation of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, for holding the second round of "exploratory political discussions" between Egypt and Turkey.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that the two sides are scheduled to discuss bilateral ties and a number of regional files.

Egypt and Turkey issued a joint statement on the two-day "exploratory consultations" held on May 5-6 in Cairo.

The talks were led by Egypt's Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Loza and Turkey's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sedat Önal.

"The discussions were honest and deep as they tackled bilateral issues, and a number of regional issues, particularly the situation in Libya, Syria, and Iraq, as well as the necessity of achieving peace and security in the Middle East," the statement reads. 

"Both parties will evaluate the outcome of this round of consultations and agree on the next steps," the statement concluded.