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The 2 leaders additionally criticised Israel’s conduct of the struggle within the Gaza Strip and referred to as for a ceasefire. Al-Sisi welcomed Erdogan with nice fanfare at Cairo airport earlier than the pair signed a number of agreements.
They each referred to as for “a brand new stage in relations”, a rise in commerce to “$15bn per 12 months inside a number of years” and diplomatic cooperation within the Center East. Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israel’s conduct in its struggle with Gaza’s rulers Hamas, once more aimed on the authorities of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Denouncing Netanyahu
The Turkish chief, on his first go to to Egypt in additional than 10 years, denounced Netanyahu’s “occupation, destruction and massacres”. Erdogan mentioned the Palestinians had been “on the prime of our agenda” and that it was “our precedence to determine a ceasefire as quickly as attainable”.
Turkey was “able to work with Egypt for the restoration and reconstruction of Gaza within the medium time period,” he added.
For his half, Al-Sisi criticised “Israel’s obstacles which imply that humanitarian assist enters Gaza too slowly”. Egypt controls the Rafah crossing into Gaza, however Israel insists on inspecting each assist cargo.
Cairo has been internet hosting joint efforts with Qatar and the US to dealer a brand new truce between Israel and Hamas. An Israel delegation was in Cairo on Tuesday, whereas a Hamas delegation was to journey to the Egyptian capital on Wednesday.
Lengthy freeze in relations
Turkey and Egypt minimize ties in 2013 after Al-Sisi, then defence minister, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, an ally of Ankara and a part of the Muslim Brotherhood motion.
On the time, Erdogan mentioned he would by no means converse to “anybody” like Al-Sisi, who in 2014 grew to become president of the Arab world’s most populous nation. Relations have thawed since 2021 when a Turkish delegation visited Egypt to debate normalisation. By final July, Cairo and Ankara appointed ambassadors to one another’s capitals for the primary time in a decade.
In November 2022, Erdogan and Al-Sisi shook palms in Qatar in what the Egyptian presidency heralded as a brand new starting for his or her relations. The 2 males have since met in a number of different nations, together with Saudi Arabia in November and on the G20 summit in India in September.
Regardless of the lengthy freeze in relations, commerce between the 2 continued. In keeping with Egyptian central financial institution figures, Turkey is Egypt’s fifth largest commerce companion. Earlier this month, Turkish overseas minister Hakan Fidan mentioned an settlement had been finalised to supply drones to Egypt.
Whereas the 2 regional powers have typically been at odds – together with supporting rival governments in Libya – their pursuits are aligned on two main conflicts: Sudan and Gaza.
Harsh critic
Erdogan has emerged as one of many Muslim world’s harshest critics of Israel for its bombardment and floor offensive in Gaza, which have killed at the very least 28,576 folks, largely ladies and kids, in line with the well being ministry within the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.
The struggle was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented 7 October assault on Israel which resulted within the deaths of about 1,160 folks, largely civilians, in line with an AFP tally primarily based on official Israeli figures.
On Wednesday, Erdogan mentioned it could be “insanity” if Israel had been to observe by with plans for an assault on Rafah, the southern metropolis the place greater than half of Gaza’s inhabitants has sought refuge from the preventing, warning it could “ultimately result in genocide”.
Istanbul served as a base for Hamas political leaders earlier than the 7 October assault. The NATO member requested the Hamas chiefs to depart after some had been captured on video celebrating the assault.
Ankara in November recalled its ambassador to Israel and has maintained intermittent communication with the Hamas management, who see Turkey as a possible ally in ceasefire negotiations.
Erdogan mentioned he had invited Al-Sisi to go to Ankara “on the first alternative”.
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