Turkey President Erdogan and Saudi King Salman hold talks by phone on improving tense relations

Turkey President Erdogan and Saudi King Salman hold talks by phone on improving tense relations
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey appear to be on the mend.
2 min read
05 May, 2021
President Erdogan and King Salman spoke by phone on Tuesday [Getty]
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Saudi Arabia's King Salman by telephone late Tuesday, as the two countries seek to improve ties after years of rancour.

The two leaders "exchanged views on Turkey-KSA relations" during the conversation, according to a statement from the Turkish communications ministry.

President Erdogan and King Salman also "evaluated" issues of mutual importance and "steps to be taken to further the cooperation", according to Turkish media.

Saudi media reported that the two leaders also exchanged greetings for the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr holidays.

The two leaders spoke last month by telephone with plans for the foreign ministers of both countries to meet and discuss renewed ties.

Read also: Turkish delegation visits Egypt for first time since 2013 to discuss mending ties

Relations have been tense following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2017.

Riyadh enacted a semi-official boycott of Turkish goods which saw imports from the country plummet.

Relations have steadily improved with signs of a detente between Turkey and other regional rivals.

Turkish and Egyptian officials are holding talks this week on improving relations after Ankara and Cairo cut ties after the military's overthrow of Egypt's first democratically-elected government.

A Turkish ambassador to the UAE was also recently appointed in a sign of improving relations with Abu Dhabi.


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