ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The development of relations between Turkey and Egypt will begin with meetings at ministerial level, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in remarks broadcast on television on Sunday.
After years of tension between their two countries, Recep Tayyip Erdogan exchanged a handshake with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al Sissi last week in Qatar, on the occasion of the FIFA World Cup. The Egyptian presidency then qualified this handshake as a new start in bilateral relations.
In a television program recorded on Saturday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he spoke for 30 to 45 minutes with Abdel Fattah al-Sissi on this occasion.
“We had a very clear discussion with Mr. Sisi and have now said that our ministers are taking over at a lower level. After that, let’s expand these discussions,” said the Turkish president, also referring to Syria.
“Just as this company is now engaged with Egypt, things could also engage with Syria,” he continued.
Relations between Turkey and Egypt deteriorated markedly after Abdel Fattah al-Sissi came to power in Cairo in 2013 following the overthrow by the Egyptian army of Mohamed Morsi, president from the Muslim Brotherhood supported by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
(Report Omer Berberoglu, written by Daren Butler, French version Bertrand Boucey)
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