Erdogan to meet with Saudi Crown Prince to revive ties

Turkiye’s President, Tayyip Erdogan, is planning a visit to Riyadh on Thursday in a push to mend ties, Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to the report, Erdogan will meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz to bolster trade with Saudi Arabia as Turkiye’s current economic crisis costs him support ahead of elections scheduled for next year.

“Turkiye and Saudi Arabia will seek to develop all aspects of relations between the two countries during the visit and exchange views on regional and international issues,” Erdogan’s office said in a statement on Thursday.

Also, Treasury and Finance Minister, Nureddin Nebati, said on Wednesday that he discussed ways to improve economic cooperation between the two countries in an online meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Mohammed Al-Jadaan.

READ: Turkiye-Saudi trade expected to return to normal soon, sources say

Shipments dropped to Saudi Arabia, once a key market for Turkey before Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was killed in Istanbul in 2018.

Turkiye, this month, ended its trial over the killing of Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi, by Saudi agents on Turkish soil. Its decision to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia removed a key obstacle to improved ties and Erdogan’s visit.

Turkiye seeks to sign a trade agreement with Saudi Arabia as Turkish exports to the country are down from around $3.2 billion to $200 million in 2021.