Staff Writer
The foreign ministries in Cairo and Ankara announced “improved diplomatic relations” between the two nations “at the ambassadorial level,” and they also mentioned the appointments of Turkish Salih Mutlu Sen in Cairo and Egyptian Amr Elhamamy in Ankara.
In two separate press releases, they further stated that this action indicates “the mutual desire to develop bilateral relations”.
These appointments signal a reconciliation between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.
Ten years ago, relations were broken when Mr. Sissi, Egypt’s defense minister at the time, deposed Muslim Brotherhood member and Turkish friend Mohamed Morsi.
At the time, Mr. Erdogan declared he would never speak with “someone” like Mr. Sissi, who took office as leader of the most populous country in the Arab world in 2014.
When a Turkish group visited Egypt in May 2021 to explore potential normalization, the first indications of thawing relations became apparent.
The Egyptian Presidency portrayed the handshake between the two leaders in November as the start of fresh bilateral relations.
After the catastrophic earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria in February, they later spoke on the phone.
Despite the long-standing tensions, trade between the two nations has continued. Turkey was the biggest purchaser of Egyptian goods in 2022, paying a total of $4 billion.
However, there are still differences since Turkey continues to welcome many Arab journalists who challenge their governments, particularly Egyptians who are close to the Muslim Brotherhood and have been designated as outlaws by Cairo.
