Turkey’s Erdogan mentioned he hoped “to launch a brand new period” in bilateral ties With Saudi Arabia. (File)
Ryadh:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived Thursday in Saudi Arabia, state media reported, his first go to for the reason that 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi drove a wedge between the 2 Sunni powers.
The journey comes as Turkey, dealing with an financial disaster fuelled by the collapse of its forex and hovering inflation, tries to drum up monetary assist from energy-rich Gulf international locations.
Erdogan’s aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia’s second metropolis Jeddah, for a go to that was anticipated to incorporate a gathering with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Previous to taking off from Istanbul, Erdogan mentioned he hoped “to launch a brand new period” in bilateral ties.
“We consider enhancing cooperation in areas together with defence and finance is in our mutual curiosity,” he mentioned.
Saudi brokers killed and dismembered Khashoggi, a Saudi insider turned critic who wrote columns for The Washington Put up, in October 2018 within the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.
His stays have by no means been discovered.
The grotesque act risked isolating Saudi Arabia, and particularly Prince Salman, whereas escalating Riyadh’s regional rivalry with Ankara.
Turkey infuriated the Saudis by urgent forward with an investigation into the homicide, which Erdogan mentioned was ordered on the “highest ranges” of the Saudi authorities.
Saudi Arabia responded by unofficially placing strain on Turkey’s economic system by means of a boycott of key Turkish imports.
However commerce between the 2 has been regularly bettering, and in January Erdogan mentioned he was planning a go to to Riyadh.
Earlier this month, an Istanbul court docket halted the trial in absentia of 26 Saudi suspects linked to Khashoggi’s demise, transferring the case to Saudi Arabia.
The Turkish choice infuriated human rights campaigners and Khashoggi’s widow Hatice Cengiz, who vowed attraction it in the next court docket.
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