Egypt says consultative track to be launched to restore ties with Türkiye

By Ibrahim Al-Khazen

ANKARA (AA) - Egypt said that a consultation process will be launched with Türkiye to restore relations between the two countries.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Türkiye on Monday, where he was received by his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The two ministers took a helicopter tour of one of the areas hardest hit by the Feb. 6 earthquakes that killed thousands of people.

"Shoukry's visit was aimed at expressing solidarity with Türkiye in the wake of the Feb. 6 earthquakes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a televised statement Monday evening.

"The visit coincided with the arrival of the 6th Egyptian aid shipment for Türkiye, estimated at a total of 1,200 tons," he added.

"There are many messages from both sides to push for the normalization of bilateral relations on the instructions of the political leadership after the meeting in Qatar," Abu Zeid said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held brief talks with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Doha in November on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The Egyptian spokesman said the two foreign ministers agreed to "define a way for the two sides to engage directly with each other."

"This consultation path that will be launched will be the arbiter of the speed of the restoration of relations and their vitality," he added, without giving a date for the launch of this path.

"Shoukry's visit will play a role in launching this consultation track," he added.

The ministry spokesman praised Tuerkiye's hospitality to the Egyptian delegation.

Egypt and Türkiye held exploratory talks in May and September 2021 to discuss restoring their bilateral relations.

Shoukry's visit to Türkiye was the first by an Egyptian foreign minister to Ankara in more than a decade.

At a press conference on Monday, Cavusoglu said: "Enhancing relations between Türkiye and Egypt is in the interest of both countries, but it is important not only for both countries but also for the peace, stability, and development of our region."

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report.