Turkey, UAE seek to patch up ties as MBZ visits Ankara

Ankara and Abu Dhabi are expected to sign deals for energy and technology investments during the crown prince's first official visit to Turkey in nearly a decade.

The crown prince's visit will be his first official visit to Turkey since 2012 and the first top-level meeting between the UAE and Turkey in recent years.
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The crown prince's visit will be his first official visit to Turkey since 2012 and the first top-level meeting between the UAE and Turkey in recent years.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hosted Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Ankara, as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates seek to repair relations and increase economic cooperation.

Turkey and the United Arab Emirates will sign deals for energy and technology investments and in the fields of marine ports and logistics, a Turkish official said on Wednesday ahead of high-level talks in Ankara.

The official told Reuters the memorandums of understanding would be signed between the Abu Dhabi Development Holding (ADQ), Turkish Wealth Fund (TVF), and the Turkish Presidency Investment Office, as well as with some Turkish companies. 

According to a statement by Turkey's Communications Directorate on Tuesday, bilateral relations will be reviewed with all its dimensions, and steps to improve cooperation will be discussed during the meetings in Ankara.

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," according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).

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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Mending ties after tense relations

The crown prince's visit will be his first official visit to Turkey since 2012 and the first top-level meeting between the UAE and Turkey over recent years.

The prince’s visit to Turkey is viewed as part of a wider effort by the UAE to recalibrate its foreign policy following an unsuccessful attempt to isolate fellow Gulf state Qatar in 2017.

The fallout between Ankara and Abu Dhabi reverberated across the Middle East, resulting in a conflict in Libya, as well as tensions in the Gulf and in the eastern Mediterranean. 

Turkey, an ally of Qatar, rushed to support Doha amid an embargo imposed by the UAE and three Arab states. Turkey has since deepened its military ties with Qatar. 

Turkey is also engaged in an effort to mend its ties with regional powers, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

READ MORE: The feasibility of the Turkey-UAE rapprochement

READ MORE: Abu Dhabi's crown prince to visit Turkey

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