For the first time, Sisi and Erdogan in Ankara confirm their position on the Gaza war

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi held talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, in the first visit of its kind since el-Sisi came to power in the summer of 2014.

In a press conference, the two presidents stressed the firm position of Cairo and Ankara calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli aggression on the West Bank, and announced a new phase of relations between the two countries.

The Egyptian president said that his visit to Turkey "establishes a new phase of relations between the two countries," and expressed his great happiness with his first visit to Turkey and his meeting with President Erdogan. He stressed that "his visit establishes a new phase of cooperation and integration between the two countries." He added: "We have witnessed a continuous boom in communication between the Egyptian and Turkish peoples over the past years."

Sisi pointed out that "there is a firm Egyptian-Turkish position on the necessity of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and stopping the Israeli aggression in the West Bank." He said, "We discussed ways to address the humanitarian tragedy suffered by the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

I express my great happiness with my first visit to the Republic of Turkey, and my meeting with His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as our two ancient countries share deep-rooted historical and popular relations, and have had strong political relations since the founding of the Turkish Republic by the founding leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Perhaps my visit…

- Abdelfattah Elsisi (@AlsisiOfficial) September 4, 2024

For his part, Erdogan said that Turkey and Egypt's contributions to regional peace and stability are vital. In his speech, Erdogan explained that Turkey has confirmed its will to enhance cooperation with Egypt in all fields, including industry, trade, defense, health, environment and energy.

He also announced Turkey's determination to increase the volume of trade exchange between the two countries to $15 billion annually over the next 5 years, and to continue multi-dimensional relations with Cairo on the basis of mutual benefit. On the Palestinian issue, President Erdogan pointed out that Turkey and Egypt adopt a common position on the Palestinian issue. He said that "the contributions of Turkey and Egypt to regional peace and stability are vital."

The Turkish president stressed that Israel and its supporters are responsible for the death of every innocent civilian in Gaza due to hunger, thirst and lack of medicine. He condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the US Congress last July, saying: “The place for the killers of 41,000 innocent people (in Gaza) is not the podiums of parliament but the courtrooms to be held accountable for their crimes.”

He stressed that "Israel continues its obstructive stance towards the negotiations, and revealed its mentality by killing its interlocutor," referring to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas, in the Iranian capital, Tehran, at the end of last July.

I was pleased to host the Egyptian President Mr. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in our country. 🇪🇬🇹🇷

We are determined to enhance our communication and consultations with Egypt, with which we have similar positions and goals on many issues.

We agreed in our meetings today to build continuous consultations in order to resolve regional issues, especially the Gaza issue.

If… pic.twitter.com/DQl8VgNHks

— Recep Tayyip Erdogan (@rterdogan_ar) September 4, 2024

Sisi arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday on an official visit, the first of its kind in 12 years, aimed at consolidating reconciliation between the two countries after a decade of estrangement. Photos published by the Turkish presidency showed Erdogan, who was received by Sisi in Cairo in February, shaking hands with the Egyptian president as he got off the plane.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was at the forefront of those welcoming Sisi at Esenboga Airport, accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin. The two presidents held a short meeting in the airport's VIP lounge, then headed by the same car to the Turkish presidential complex.

Following their anticipated bilateral meeting at the Presidential Complex, Erdogan and Sisi attended the high-level meeting of the Strategic Cooperation Council between the two countries. They held a signing ceremony for a series of bilateral agreements, and then held a joint press conference. The Turkish president is scheduled to host an official dinner in honor of his Egyptian counterpart.

In February, Erdogan and Sisi stressed in Cairo their desire to open a “new page” in relations between the two countries after more than a decade of estrangement. Bilateral relations have deteriorated since 2013, when Sisi, then defense minister, led a coup against President Mohamed Morsi, an ally of Ankara. Relations between the two presidents have improved for about two years, with their interests converging on several regional issues, particularly the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

For its part, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement that Sisi's visit to Ankara comes in response to an invitation from Erdogan. Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, the official spokesman for the presidency, explained that Sisi's visit "represents a new stage in the path of strengthening relations between the two countries, and to build on President Erdogan's historic visit to Egypt last February, and to establish a new phase of friendship and joint cooperation between the two countries, whether bilaterally or at the regional level, which is witnessing great challenges that require consultation and coordination between the two countries."

(Agencies)