Turkey, Egypt inch closer to restoring ties as FMs meet in Ankara
The former Eastern Mediterranean rivals are on the path to rapprochement, but there are no plans for the return of ambassadors as of yet.
ISTANBUL — Egypt’s chief diplomat arrived in Turkey on Thursday in the latest step to restore frayed ties that have seen the countries at odds for more than a decade.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry touched down in Ankara for talks with his counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, less than a month after the Turkish minister traveled to Cairo, the first visit by a Turkish foreign minister to the Arab world’s most populous nation in 11 years.
Cavusoglu had raised the prospect of the reappointment of ambassadors between the countries during his Egypt visit, stoking expectations that such a move would be announced during Shoukry’s reciprocal trip.
The ministers, however, only reiterated that the process and timeline for the full restoration of diplomatic ties was being worked on. Ambassador-level relations between the two countries ended in late 2013.
