Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is arriving in Ankara. He is visiting Turkey for the first time. The purpose of this visit is to address the sour relations between the two powerful countries of the region after the murder of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. He is reaching Turkey on the last leg of his West Asia tour. Where he is scheduled to meet President Rajab Tayyip Erdogan. He also visited Egypt and Jordan.
Next week US President Joe. Biden is also scheduled to visit the region. Erdogan said talks with the Saudi crown prince would focus on taking Turkey and Saudi Arabia relations to greater heights.
The Turkish President visited Saudi Arabia in April this year. This was his first visit to the Arab country since 2017. A year after his visit, Khashoggi was brutally murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Turkey wants to improve its ties with Saudi Arabia, which is facing its worst economic crisis in two decades and seeks investment from prosperous Gulf Arab countries. Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia wants to expand its alliance at a time when relations between Riyadh and Washington are tense. The Saudi crown prince wants to end the controversy over the Khashoggi assassination, which has damaged his reputation. Turkey has launched a trial against 26 Saudi agents suspected of killing Khashoggi. However, earlier this year the court stayed the proceedings and transferred the trial to Saudi Arabia, paving the way for reconciliation. PLC/GT
