Turkey announces willingness to cooperate with Egypt

Spokesman for the Turkish presidency Ibrahim Kalin has announced: “If Egypt reveals a willingness to act with a positive agenda on regional issues, Turkey would not leave it unanswered.”

This came in an interview with a local TV channel, when the Turkish official was asked whether Turkey is seeking rapprochement with regional actors in the eastern Mediterranean, such as Egypt, despite previous tensions.

Kalin added that Egypt plays a pivotal role in the region and in the Arab world.

He continued: “Of course, we cannot disregard how (Abdel Fattah) El-Sisi came to power, the coup d’état that took place in the country, people who were killed, the events of Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square, the subsequent arrests and (Mohamed) Morsi’s death.”

Kalin added: “Nevertheless, if Egypt reveals a willingness to act with a positive agenda on regional issues, Turkey would not leave it unanswered. If we manage to reach a common ground regarding the issues in Libya, Palestine, the eastern Mediterranean and other files, then Turkey will make a positive and constructive contribution.”

A Turkish newspaper reported that negotiations between the Turkish and Egyptian intelligence agencies on the eastern Mediterranean are underway, pointing out that the United Arab Emirates had tried to impede the talks.

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