ALBAWABA - On his first multicountry visit following the presidintial elections in May, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan embarks on a Gulf and Northern Cyprus tour, with strengthening ties and reaching new agreements being the main goal.
In a statement by the Turkish Communications Directorate, Erdogan's meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE will focus on bilateral relations, global and regional issues, and possible areas of cooperation especially in the fields of economy and investment.
Upon his return from the NATO summit in Lithuania last week, Erdogan told reporters that: “We would like to further strengthen all kinds of relations between us by traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE,”.
Erdogan's first stop will be in Doha where he will be meeting with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Both leaders will be holding talks focusing on strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations on several levels.
Ankara has secured $28 billion in currency swap accords with Gulf countries and South Korea in recent years.
Erdogan is also expected to attend Peace and Freedom Day celebrations in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). He will be meeting with TRNC President Ersin Tatar to discuss the latest developments in the Cyprus crisis as well as bilateral relations and will inaugurate Ercan International Airport's new terminal building and runway.
Saudi-Turkish Relations
Earlier this week, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat met with Saudi Housing Minister Majid Al-Hogail in Istanbul on the sidelines of a Turkish-Saudi business forum, where both ministers were hoping to raise trade volume between the two countries.
Anadolu Agency reported that more than a dozen deals were signed between Turkish and Saudi firms.
