Turkish President Erdogan in Cairo for extensive talks with President Sisi

CAIRO – 14 February 2024: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to hold extensive talks with his Egyptian counterpart, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The visit is historical as this is Erdogan’s first official visit to the country since 2012, while both countries are striving to improve their ties after a decade of tensions.

Sisi and Egypt’s First Lady Entissar Amer received Erdogan and the Turkish First Lady, Emine Erdoğan, at Cairo International Airport.

An official reception ceremony was then held at Al-Ittihadiya presidential palace upon Erdogan’s arrival to hold talks with Sisi.

According to the Egyptian Presidency, Sisi and Erdogan will discuss several regional issues and challenges.

Their talks will address the ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in the strip.

Additionally, Sisi and Erdogan will hold extensive talks to push forward ongoing efforts aimed at enhancing the bilateral relations between Egypt and Turkey, the Presidency added.

Last year, Egypt and Turkey announced elevating their diplomatic relations, exchanging ambassadors, after rounds of exploratory talks.

In February 2023, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry made the first visit by Egypt’s top diplomat to Turkey since relations strained. Shoukry’s visits to Turkey and Syria at the time aimed to show solidarity with both countries after the devastating earthquakes that killed over 50,000 people in both countries.

In the wake of the disaster, Egypt sent tons of relief aid to both Turkey and Syria.

In March 2023, then- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Egypt for the first time since relations soured.

Amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, Sisi and Erdogan made a phone call in October to review the ongoing efforts to unite international efforts to seek a ceasefire and de-escalation in Gaza.

Turkish Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca also visited Cairo in November to coordinate efforts of treating people evacuated from Gaza.

Both countries have collaborated on delivering aid to Gaza with Turkey sending hundreds of tons of aid to the war-ravaged strip. Moreover, Turkey dispatched doctors to provide medical services to the injured in Egypt’s Al-Arish hospitals receiving Gaza patients and injured Palestinians.