Egyptian-Turkish diplomatic ties may be restored this year: PM

CAIRO - 10 September 2020: Egyptian-Turkish diplomatic relations can be restored this year if the outstanding issues are resolved, said Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday.

 

Madbouli affirmed that the main issue for Egypt is Turkey's involvement in Libya, adding that no other country should interfere in Libya, or try to influence decision-making there. “We would like to let the Libyans decide their future."

 

Egyptian and Turkish diplomats agreed Wednesday on continuing the exploratory consultations aimed at normalizing relations, which were severed in 2013 due to Turkey's support to the Muslim Brotherhood outlawed in Egypt.

 

The joint statement, issued by both parties, after the conclusion of the second round of exploratory consultations that was held on September 7-8 in Ankara, indicated that the negotiation teams discussed the statuses of Libya, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Eastern Mediterranean.

 

The first round of exploratory consultations was held in Cairo on May 5-6 as both sides discussed bilateral relations and their stances on the issues of Libya, Syria, and Iraq.

 

They also agreed on the necessity of achieving peace and security in the Middle East, and on evaluating the outcomes of the consultations to decide upon the steps that followed.

 

Additional reporting by Noha El Tawil