UPDATE - Turkish president welcomes Saudi crown prince with official ceremony

UPDATES WITH WELCOMING CEREMONY BY TURKISH PRESIDENT FOR SAUDI CROWN PRINCE

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with an official ceremony in the capital Ankara.

Erdogan received the crown prince at the presidential complex.

Ahead of an official dinner, the leaders are set to have one-on-one and inter-delegation meetings.

Erdogan earlier said they would discuss ways to take bilateral relations to a much higher level during the prince's official visit.

In late April, Erdogan paid a two-day working visit to Saudi Arabia aimed at boosting bilateral ties.

On his visit, Erdogan met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as well as the crown prince, and discussed various international, regional, and bilateral issues.

On his way back to Türkiye following his visit to Saudi Arabia, Erdogan said Ankara and Riyadh are determined to continue efforts for the common interests and stability of the region.

While negotiating with Egypt, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations, Erdogan described these efforts as a "new era" for a process of making friends and not enemies.