Egypt, Turkey to begin two-day political talks in Cairo

CAIRO – 4 May 2021: Egypt and Turkey will begin on Wednesday a two-day political talk led by Egypt's Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Loza and Turkey's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sedat Önal in Cairo.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that these ‘exploratory discussions’ will focus on necessary steps that may lead to the normalization of relations between the two countries at the bilateral level and in the regional context.

Earlier in March, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed the government keenness to maintain close relationship between the two people of Egypt and Turkey regardless the ‘negative political stances’ of Ankara against Cairo.

He added during the meeting of the Foreign Relations Committee in the House of Representatives, that no relations or communications between the two countries ‘outside the normal diplomatic channels.

Shoukry said that if the Turkish policy towards Egypt witnessed any changes in regard of non-interfering in internal affairs, and adopting a similar political approach to the Egyptian one, in this case, this would be a solid ground for starting a normal relation between the two countries.

On March 12, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement replying to Turkish officials who announced resumption and restoring the diplomatic ties with Egypt and Gulf States.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that “there is no such thing of 'resuming diplomatic contacts.”

The Egyptian statement added that the diplomatic ties between the two countries exist at the level of the charge d'affaires in accordance with the diplomatic norms.

“Upgrading the level of the relationship between the two countries requires taking into consideration the legal and diplomatic frameworks that govern relations between countries on the basis of respecting the principle of sovereignty and the requirements of Arab national security,” it continued.

“Egypt expects that any country that needs to establish normal relations with it [Egypt] should abide by the rules of international law and the principles of good neighbor policy and stop attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries of the region,” the statement said. Egypt’s response came after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey, Egypt started holding first diplomatic contact after being suspended since 2013, as it was reported by Anadolu News Agency.

“We have had contacts both at the level of intelligence and foreign ministries with Egypt. Diplomatic-level contacts have started,” Çavuşoğlu was quoted as saying.

After being internationally isolated due to his foreign policy, Turkey started courting Cairo. Spokesman of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Ibrahim Kalin told Bloomberg that his country is ready to normalize ties with Egypt and some Gulf States.

Turkish-Egyptian ties have strained since 2013 when Erdogan criticized the Jaune 30 Revolution that thwarted the ruling of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group. Also, Turkey’s relations with some Gulf countries strained due to its support to terrorists and interference into other neighboring countries’ affairs like Libya and Syria.