Esra Tekin
20 April 2024•Update: 21 April 2024
ISTANBUL
Türkiye and Egypt are working together to find a lasting solution to the year-old crisis in Sudan, said the Turkish foreign minister on Saturday.
“Türkiye is working with Cairo to find a permanent solution to the Sudan conflict,” Hakan Fidan told a joint news conference alongside Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s foreign minister, who is in Istanbul for an official visit.
Fidan said the issues of Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia, which are also important areas of cooperation between Ankara and Cairo, were also discussed, adding that both foreign ministers aim to discuss these issues more regularly.
Fidan also said they discussed how to stop the ongoing civil war in Sudan, its regional impact, the ongoing negotiation process, and plans for a solution.
"We also decided to increase our consultations and efforts on this issue. We also discussed together the new problem area which has emerged between Somalia and Ethiopia, especially threatening the territorial integrity of Somalia,” he said.
Expressing his commitment with Shoukry to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Somalia, Fidan said that they we exchanged views on what steps can be taken to prevent the Horn of Africa countries’ political dispute from turning into a conflict.
Stressing that there is a significant area of cooperation not only in bilateral relations but also in other issues covering the region between Cairo and Ankara, Fidan said: "These issues have made it imperative for the two countries to act together.”
Cooperation between Ankara, Cairo
He added that Türkiye and Egypt are two important “sister countries” at both ends of the Eastern Mediterranean, and they have great potential for cooperation.
Fidan underlined that he and Shoukry had the opportunity to discuss preparations for a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting.
"We discussed the issues on our bilateral agenda in detail. Trade and economic cooperation in particular constitute one of the strongest dimensions. Our investments in Egypt have already reached $3 billion. The trade volume between us is approximately $8 billion," Fidan said.
Stating that during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Cairo in February, a trade target of $15 billion was set, Fidan said that Türkiye aims to achieve this goal by expanding the scope of “our free trade agreement and restarting Ro-Ro voyages between our ports.”
Fidan also said defense industry ties between the two countries are strengthening, adding that there is extensive potential for cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in liquefied natural gas and nuclear energy.
“We are intensifying meetings and mutual visits with Türkiye to develop relations and joint work,” Shoukry told the press conference.
He said his country aspires to “raise the mutual trade volume with Türkiye to $15 billion and more,” adding that “the capabilities are available to both countries.”
“We are working on a broad legal framework of agreements in preparation for the Strategic Cooperation Council meeting,” he said.
Shoukry added that Egypt is “working to strengthen cooperation with Türkiye in order to achieve stability in the region.”
