Türkiye, Egypt partnership vital for regional peace and stability – Erdogan

Türkiye and Egypt share a common position on the Palestinian issue, and both sides want to see an immediate and permanent ceasefire to Israel's war on Gaza, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

“Türkiye and Egypt’s contributions to regional peace and stability are of vital importance,” Erdogan said on Wednesday, addressing a joint news conference alongside his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el Sisi, who is on a visit to Türkiye.

This is Sisi's first visit to Türkiye since he took office in 2014. He is visiting upon Erdogan's invitation.

As part of Sisi’s visit, the leaders co-chaired the first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries and signed 17 agreements in various fields.

"We have reaffirmed our will to advance our cooperation in all areas, including industry, trade, defence, healthcare, environment and energy,” Erdogan said, adding that the two countries will advance their multi-dimensional relations with a "win-win approach.”

Sisi, for his part, expressed that his visit to Türkiye "paves the way for a new phase in economic and trade relations,” and reaffirmed that the two countries share a firm position “on the necessity of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza and ending the Israeli aggression in the West Bank.”

Shared history, close ties

Türkiye and Egypt, two powerhouses of the Middle East, have been moving forward to deepen bilateral ties as part of the normalisation process launched three years ago.

In February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Egypt, where he met Sisi and signed several deals on tourism, culture and education.

Trade relations have long been a cornerstone of cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt. The two countries are now hoping to increase their bilateral trade volume by at least 50 percent, from $10 billion to $15 billion.

Türkiye has been among the top five trading partners of Egypt for the past 10 years.

The two countries boast centuries of shared history and close ties of friendship. Next year marks 100 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between them.

Joint declaration

In a joint declaration following the first Türkiye-Egypt High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, Ankara and Cairo reaffirmed their steadfast support for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

The two sides endorsed the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent and sovereign state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders. They also emphasised their commitment to protecting the right of return for all Palestinian refugees.

The declaration further stressed the importance of supporting Iraq's sovereignty and stability, expressing support for Iraq's development and reconstruction efforts.

Türkiye and Egypt also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a political process led and owned by Libyans under the facilitation of the UN, aimed at preserving Libya's security, stability, territorial integrity, and political unity.

Voicing concern over the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has been causing a devastating humanitarian crisis across the country and region, the two countries welcomed efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully and support joint diplomatic initiatives in this regard.

Reiterating their joint commitment to finding a lasting and comprehensive solution to the conflict in Syria, they underlined the importance of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

The joint declaration underlined the significance of fighting against all forms and manifestations of terrorism.