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Turkish President heads to Saudi Arabia today on an official visit
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Erdogan was due to meet Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and also, possibly, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan begins visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday (Apr 28), in a sign of thaw in relations between the two countries.
This comes as a culmination of Ankara's months-long efforts to repair relations with Riyadh.
The Turkish presidency said that Erdogan will discuss in meetings Ankara's relations with the Kingdom, as well as ways to increase cooperation.
The two-day trip comes after an Istanbul court this month ruled to halt the trial in absentia of 26 Saudi suspects linked to the Istanbul killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in 2018, and the transfer of the case to Saudi Arabia.
The Istanbul trial was suspended during a new spell of economic turmoil in Turkey, which has suffered from soaring inflation and a spell of winter street protests that hurt Erdogan’s popularity ahead of a general election next year.
Turkey is now drumming up financial support from energy-rich Gulf countries with which it has been at odds in the decade following the “Arab Spring” revolts and Ankara’s support of Islamist groups amidst the upheaval.
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Erdogan has already tried to improve ties with Egypt and also the United Arab Emirates, which has agreed a new investment package for Turkey.
A Turkish official source told AFP, Erdogan was due to meet Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and also, possibly, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
levantnews, arabweekly
