High-level talks with Egypt could take place, Erdogan says

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday there is no reason for high-level talks with Ankara’s estranged rival Egypt not to take place, as its efforts to mend ties with Cairo remain stagnant.

“Talks on the lower levels are continuing. It is not out of the question for this to happen on higher levels, so long as we understand each other,” Erdogan told state broadcaster TRT Haber in an interview, adding that the two countries should avoid making statements “hurting” one another.

Turkey launched a charm offensive in 2020 to repair ties with estranged rivals, making overtures to Egypt, the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Efforts with Cairo have so far yielded little progress, but Erdogan said on Monday that normalisation work with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were going well.