Turkey’s Erdogan heading to Saudi Arabia to mend ties

Gulf Today Report

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a two-day visit, his office said, marking the culmination of a months-long effort by Ankara to repair ties with Riyadh.

The presidency said Erdogan will discuss Ankara's relations with the kingdom in meetings during the trip, as well as ways to increase cooperation.

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Talks with Saudi officials in the Red Sea coast of Jiddah during the two-day visit will focus on ways to increase cooperation, according to a statement from  Erdogan's office. The sides will exchange views on regional and international issues.

Saudi officials say the visit is focused on normalising relations between the two countries and restoring ties to their previous state. The two sides will also discuss conflicts in Yemen, Libya, Syria and shared support for the Palestinians. The officials spoke anonymously in order to talk about the visit.

Erdogan is expected to visit the Holy City of Makkah after his meetings to perform Umrah and prayers in the final nights of Ramadan.

With Turkey's economy now facing deepening woes and tough elections looming, Erdogan is pushing to mend Ankara's strained diplomatic relations.

"Turkey cannot continue this sphere-of-influence game that it has been pursuing since the beginning of the Arab Spring," said Birol Baskan, Turkey-based non-resident scholar at Washington-based Middle East Institute.