Saudi prince hails close ties with Turkey

By Sefa Mutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) – Saudi Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud on Wednesday hailed his country’s deep relations with Turkey.

Speaking at the Seventh Bosporus Summit in Istanbul, Prince Turki said Saudi-Turkish relations should be stepped up even further.

"Relations between the leaders of the two countries should be maintained without mediators, as they used to be," he said.

He said the Muslim world and longstanding Arab issues required the "strength" of both Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

"No outsider should be allowed to meddle in relations between the two countries," he said.

The Saudi prince went on to assert that Saudi Arabia and Turkey shared identical views on most regional issues.

Regarding the years-long conflict in Syria, he said both Riyadh and Ankara "seek to support our Syrian brothers".

Organized by the International Cooperation Platform, Wednesday's summit was held under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency.