Erdoğan welcomes visiting Egyptian counterpart

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Ankara on Sept. 4 for a landmark meeting with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, marking a significant step toward mending ties.

Erdoğan personally welcomed al-Sisi at Esenboğa Airport in the capital Ankara, and the two leaders traveled together to the presidential complex.

Following a formal welcoming ceremony, they held a private meeting.

The visit, described by local and global media as a "turning point," comes after years of strained relations and is seen as a signal of a potential new era of cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt.

"My visit today and president Erdoğan's previous visit to Cairo reflect the will to start a new friendship and cooperation between the two countries," al-Sisi said in his first statement in Ankara.

His visit follows Erdoğan's trip to Cairo in February, the first of its kind since 2012 where the two nations elevated their relationship to the level of "strategic cooperation."

Both leaders described the visit as the beginning of a "new term" in bilateral ties, which had been strained since the ouster of Egypt's Mohammed Morsi-led government in 2013.

The ongoing war in Gaza was expected to dominate the discussions as the talks will focus on joint efforts to halt Israeli military actions in Gaza and establish a ceasefire.

Additionally, the leaders were set to address other regional issues.

A high-level strategic cooperation council meeting is also scheduled during al-Sisi's visit, where the nations are expected to sign agreements across various sectors.

Economic relations will be a significant part of the agenda, with discussions aimed at increasing mutual investments and trade.

The target is to boost trade volume...