ANKARA- Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said he had talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on a wide range of issues topped by means of enhancing bilateral relations at the political, economic and cultural levels.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference following an expanded session of talks held Thursday between the delegations of Egypt and Turkey at the premises of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, he added the two sides also discussed removing all obstacles hampering the development of relations.
The Egyptian top diplomat underlined the desire of both countries to broaden and foster their co-operation and strengthen the traditional historical bonds between them for the benefit of their peoples and the whole region.
He thanked Cavusoglu for the warm reception accorded to him and his accompanying delegation, noting that the increase in the frequency of bilateral meetings shows the concordance of views and harmony between both sides and the joint strong political will to elevate relations in all domains.
He extended his greetings to the Turkish people on the occasion of the beginning of the last ten days of the holy fasting month of Ramadan and the fast approach of Eid al-Fitr, wishing this blessed occasion to bring happiness, peace, prosperity and goodness to the two countries.
Shoukry said “we’ve agreed to continue this rapid pace of communication with the aim of gaining its benefit through defining specific results that lead to more understanding and agreement on the steps that we are required to take.”
“We’ve also agreed on a specific time frame to be crystalized as regards upgrading the level of diplomatic relations. This will be announced at the right time within the framework of preparing for holding a summit featuring the two leaders to culminate the path that we have started years ago, which has taken shape during the past one and a half months that will be a new start for this bilateral relationship,” he added.
“Within the context of regional conditions, we’ve held in-depth and transparent talks about the Palestinian issue and the need to take joint action within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and our bilateral coordination,” he said, pointing out that he briefed his Turkish counterpart on the efforts exerted by Egypt to contain the recent escalation, stressing the need for Israel to respect the sanctity of the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, respect freedom of worship and respect the status quo as regards the Al Aqsa Mosque.
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Efforts should be intensified to prevent unilateral actions related to the assault on Palestinian rights and property, such as demolishing homes, appropriating lands and the security intervention in areas under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and allowing the authority to assume its full responsibility, he said, stressing that such unilateral actions would only aggravate tension and complexity.
Egypt is working to ease this tension and provide the appropriate conditions to achieve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and resume the political process to end the conflict on the principle of the two-state solution, he added.
“Through consultations, coordination and contacts with the active international partners, we will have an audible voice in this context to guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” he stressed, noting that coordination between Egypt and Turkey will have its impact and influence in achieving this interest.
Regarding Libya, Shoukry said that there is a common wish to have the Libyan institutions fulfill their responsibilities, to hold fair elections that lead to assuming the responsibility, a government that expresses the will of the Libyan people and is capable at the same time to protect the unity and integrity of the Libyan territories and the Libyan assets and potentials for the best interest of the brotherly Libyan people.
“We also discussed the developments in Syria, and I informed the Turkish Foreign Minister of the recent contacts that have taken place between Egypt and the Syrian government, the reception of the Syrian Foreign Minister in Egypt and the importance of emphasizing the need to safeguard Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with the absence of foreign forces on its territories.
The two sides also probed dealing with the issue of terrorism with the need for the Syrian government to fulfill all its commitments to Security Council Resolution no. 2254, he said, stressing the need for a political approach that includes all partners which leads to removing impurities of the past, taking the initiative for a brighter future, building confidence for the return home of Syrian refugees and moving forward with the UN envoy on the constitutional track with the aim to restore Syria’s sovereignty and independence.
“We have a homogeneous vision with a lot of consensus on the rest of the regional issues. We believe that we have a fertile and suitable ground for contacts to result in joint action that would benefit our countries, our peoples, and the entire region,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu voiced appreciation over the speed of reviving bilateral relations since the two countries’ leaders met in Doha, noting that he renewed his desire during his meeting today with his Egyptian counterpart to hold frequent bilateral meetings.
At the joint press conference, Cavusoglu said: “We are willing to open a new page with Egypt by establishing joint projects and making new success stories and we agreed on finalizing other issues as regards the appointment of ambassadors.”
As regards releasing a joint communique, the Turkish top diplomat said both sides will present all necessary information to the media in the coming days and there is not any problem in this respect, saying that “Our consultations are ongoing in this regard.”
Concerning the level of diplomatic relations, he said: “We will continue to make tangible steps in this regard and we want to hold a summit meeting at the level of the heads of state in the coming phase.”
The Turkish minister also pointed out that trade and investment relations are growing, saying that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries stood at dlrs 10 billion and it could reach up to dlrs 15 billion in a short time. There are also mechanisms to revive joint trade committees and chambers of commerce.
Cavusoglu also said Turkey tops the countries which are importing liquefied natural gas from Egypt, adding that it is possible to reach an agreement between the two sides to further promote such relations.
As per diversifying cooperation in the field of energy, Cavusoglu said there is a rapid progress in this regard, noting that some Turkish companies are seeking to pump investments in Egypt in the fields of energy as well as transport, culture and tourism. He also said his country is willing to increase the number of tourists coming to Egypt in the coming phase along with people-to-people exchanges.
The Turkish foreign minister said that during his visit to Cairo he asked about the possibility of allowing several Turkish institutions to operate again in Egypt, including Yunus Emre Institute and the office of Anadolu Agency.
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Speaking during the joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, the Turkish foreign minister said that Egypt and Turkey are very important countries in the Mediterranean region, adding that cooperation between the two countries is crucial.
Talking about Libya, he said that Turkey and Libya share identical viewpoints toward various issues.
Turning to the Syrian file, the Turkish foreign minister said that there is a four-way meeting on Syria to attain security and stability in its lands.
When asked about the Palestinian cause, the Turkish top diplomat said that Turkey appreciates Egypt’s crucial role in the region, adding that his country supports relentless efforts exerted by both Egypt and Jordan to resolve the Palestinian problem.
He also said that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issued a strongly-worded statement about Israel’s violations, adding that there is no excuse for what is happening in Palestine.
The Turkish foreign minster, meanwhile, congratulated the Turkish and Egyptian people and the Islamic world on the occasion of Laylat al-Qadr and Eid al-Fitr.
Asked on Egypt-Turkey presidential summit and its schedule, Shoukry said he agreed with his Turkish counterpart on its specific track and timetable as well as the proper time for taking such an important step.
The Turkish top diplomat said he will announce detailed information in this regard in the coming period upon agreement between the two sides.
On the possible impact of joint talks on the Libyan file and the possibility of holding a trilateral meeting grouping Libya, Turkey and Egypt leaders and the influence of such a collaborative spirit in combating terrorism in the Middle East region and countering illegal migration, Cavusoglu said there was a confidence crisis between Libya and Turkey as well as doubts and criticism, but now after the start of dialogue between Egypt and Turkey, hopefully, the same thing will be taking place with Libya.
“There should be full preparedness for the political track and elections at the same time,” the Turkish foreign minister said, adding that “our common objective is the unity and safety of the Libyan territories and reaching a political agreement in Libya.”
Cavulsolgu asserted that there should be joint work to combat terrorism and create the appropriate circumstances for this objective, adding that Turkey is working to beef up its relations with Egypt and focus on the regional issues, illegal migration and combating terrorism.
In his answer to the same question, Shoukry said there is a free trade agreement that benefited the two countries in the past years and our economic relations are expanding and increasing and the volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached dlr 10 billion and is expected to be upped in the coming phase.
On the possibility of establishing a free trade area between Egypt and Turkey and Cairo’s contribution to bringing closer viewpoints between Turkey and Greece, Shoukry said it is possible to set up an industrial zone in Egypt as the Suez Canal Economic Zone is already available for investments of the Turkish side. The Egyptian top diplomat also noted that the Turkish Embassy in Cairo is already familiarized with all facilitation and available opportunities, adding that establishing an industrial zone in Egypt will enable Turkey to get an easy access to the markets in the Middle East region and Africa.
Both Egypt and Turkey have their weight in the region and their economic and political cooperation would be having a great impact, Shoukry reiterated.
The Egyptian diplomat also voiced hope over reaching full understanding and cooperation in the region, noting that there is a great potential for settling the Palestinian problem and overcoming all difficulties and challenges facing it.