Abu Dhabi's crown prince to visit Turkey

Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Shiekh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's de facto ruler, will make an official visit to Ankara for talks with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Crown Prince Zayed Al Nahyan will visit Turkey on Wednesday, the Turkish presidency said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Bilateral relations will be reviewed with all its dimensions, and steps to improve relations will be discussed," the presidency added.

Regional and international issues will also figure in the talks, it said.

Wednesday's visit comes at an invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the presidency.

The crown prince will discuss with Erdogan "the bilateral ties and ways to enhance cooperation and joint action between the two countries in various fields to achieve their mutual interests," the Emirates News Agency, WAM, said.

Signs of improving relations

The visit follows a phone call on August 31 in which Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and regional issues with the crown prince.

Two weeks before the phone call, Erdogan had held talks with UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan that centred on economic cooperation.

On October, there was another attempt to boost bilateral trade when Tawfiq Oz, head of the Turkish-UAE Business Council, met with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.

The developments, and the pending visit from the Crown Prince, indicate improving ties between Turkey and the UAE.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in televised statements last September that "a positive atmosphere is hanging over the Turkish-Emirati relations in recent times."

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