The Turkish ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Shen, stressed today, Friday, the strength of the historical relations between Egypt and Turkey, and the common denominators between the two countries.
The Turkish ambassador added, during his participation in the “Madar Al-Ghad” program, that raising the level of diplomatic relations between the two countries would strengthen and revitalize economic relations, saying: “We will see measures and investments soon.”
With regard to visits at the level of leaders in the two countries, he indicated that there is talk of an upcoming summit between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but no date has been set for it, and it may be in Cairo or Ankara.
The Turkish ambassador added, “Cooperation between Turkey and Egypt would promote and strengthen stability and peace in the Middle East region, and it is also reflected in many countries such as Libya.”
He stated that Egypt and Turkey agreed on the need for free and fair elections in Libya and that all parties adhere to them in order to achieve peace in Libya.
The Turkish ambassador said that the Turkish people appreciate and respect their Egyptian counterpart, ruling out that contentious issues between the two countries would be an obstacle in the course of bilateral relations.
The Turkish ambassador stressed that the Egyptian state “is well aware that differences in viewpoints do not mean that a conflict will break out between the two countries.” He explained that Ankara and Cairo were keen recently to avoid any clashes.
He explained that trade exchange between Egypt and Turkey rose to more than $9 billion in 2022, noting that the two countries are seeking trade exchange to reach $20 billion.
The Turkish ambassador concluded his exclusive interview with Al-Ghad TV by referring to the importance of the gas file between Egypt and Turkey, stressing that Cairo has one of the largest liquefied natural gas facilities, and Ankara hopes to purchase it for domestic consumption and export.
And Egypt and Turkey announced – last Tuesday – the exchange of ambassadors between them, in a step that culminates efforts to restore relations between the two countries to normal.
In Cairo, a spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that Egypt and Turkey had exchanged ambassadors with the aim of restoring diplomatic relations between them to normal.
The ministry stated – in a statement – that Egypt appointed Amr Al-Hamami as its ambassador to Ankara, while Turkey appointed Saleh Mutlu Shen as its ambassador to Cairo.
In the Turkish capital, Ankara, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced raising diplomatic relations with Egypt to the level of ambassadors.
The statement stated that the lifting of diplomatic relations between the two countries “came in line with a decision taken by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.”