Erdogan's Saudi visit to mark vital step in Turkey's regional realignment
The Turkish president is expected to travel to the kingdom during Ramadan following the end of the Khashoggi case in Turkey.
ISTANBUL — A widely anticipated visit to Saudi Arabia by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could see the Turkish leader cement ties with Ankara’s greatest regional rival following the transfer of the Jamal Khashoggi case.
Turkey has been on a diplomacy drive over the past year to reset relations with countries it fell out with in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, when its support for groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood was perceived as a threat by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The split was furthered by later developments such as the blockade of Turkey’s ally Qatar by its Gulf neighbors. That obstacle to reconciliation was removed early last year with the lifting of the embargo on Doha by its GCC neighbors.
However, rapprochement efforts with Riyadh were dampened by the trial of 26 suspects linked to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate in October 2018.
