Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan has begun a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, seeking to deepen political and economic cooperation as regional tensions over Gaza, Iran and wider Middle East stability dominate the agenda.
ErdoÄŸan departed on Tuesday with a senior delegation that includes Turkish first lady Emine ErdoÄŸan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Finance Minister Mehmet ÅžimÅŸek and Defence Minister YaÅŸar Güler.
Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said ErdoÄŸan will hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on expanding cooperation and reviewing regional developments.
He will travel to Cairo on Wednesday at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to co-chair the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
Duran said the discussions will cover bilateral matters and wider regional issues, with a particular emphasis on Palestine.
Speaking to AnewZ, Mehmet ÖÄŸütcü, chairman of the London Energy Club and a former Turkish diplomat, said the visit comes “at a very critical time”, with Gaza, Syria and Iran shaping the agenda. He noted that the size of ErdoÄŸan’s delegation reflects a drive to expand trade, investment and construction projects, alongside discussions about a possible informal Türkiye–Saudi–Pakistan arrangement “benefiting from Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella”.
ÖÄŸütcü said the key question remains whether the United States might take military action against Iran. Türkiye is mediating, he told AnewZ, with U.S. and Iranian delegations already talking in Ankara. “If this succeeds, this is going to be a huge achievement,” he said, warning that any strike could prompt regional disruption, from missile launches to threats to routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
He added that Saudi Arabia and Türkiye share an interest in preventing escalation despite different sensitivities. Riyadh remains concerned about Shia militancy and exposure along its oil-producing east, while Türkiye is alert to potential instability affecting “20 to 25 million Iranians of Turkish origin” in the event of conflict.
On Gaza, ÖÄŸütcü said both capitals are frustrated by continued Israeli strikes despite ceasefire efforts. Reconstruction will require “tens of billions of dollars”, with Türkiye ready to contribute, though Saudi Arabia wants political leadership to run through Egypt. Türkiye’s role, he said, is acceptable “for humanitarian and reconstruction purposes”, not for shaping Gaza’s future governance.
He also underlined economic ambitions, noting efforts to raise Türkiye–Saudi trade from 8-9 billion dollars to 30 billion dollars, with Turkish construction firms seeking a greater share of major projects and both sides looking at opportunities in energy, infrastructure and defence.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as...
Pakistan and Russia have agreed to deepen counterterrorism cooperation amid continuing concerns over militant threats emanating from Afghanistan, unde...
Andy Burnham's path to Downing Street appeared to become clearer on Wednesday after another potential challenger ruled himself out of the Labour leade...
Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), faces possible removal from office after a key oversight body concluded he eng...
Kazakhstan secured agreements and investment commitments worth $12 billion during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's official visit to Brussels on 22â€...
Turkish authorities detained 209 people in anti-terrorism operations on Tuesday, prosecutors said, a day after Ankara imposed restrictions on public gatherings ahead of next month's NATO summit.
Parts of what are believed to be a Russian surface-to-air missile washed ashore at two locations on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast over the weekend, prompting bomb-disposal operations and security measures.
Türkiye's World Cup campaign came to a painful end on Friday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay despite dominating large parts of their Group D clash.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze arrived in Dushanbe on 19 June 2026 for the first official visit by a Georgian head of government to Tajikistan, concluding a trip that produced a joint communiqué, multiple bilateral agreements and a new commission to deepen economic cooperation.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan. Â
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Authorities in France are reporting that about 20 people have died over the weekend while swimming in unsupervised areas of rivers, lakes and coastal waters as they tried to escape the heatwave.
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal.
Kazakhstan secured agreements and investment commitments worth $12 billion during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's official visit to Brussels on 22–23 June, underlining the growing economic importance of ties between the European Union and Central Asia's largest economy.
The United Nations Public Service Forum has opened in Tbilisi, Georgia, for the first time, bringing together 420 participants from nearly 100 countries to discuss public sector governance, digital transformation and citizen-centred service delivery.
Turkish authorities detained 209 people in anti-terrorism operations on Tuesday, prosecutors said, a day after Ankara imposed restrictions on public gatherings ahead of next month's NATO summit.
Oman has announced measures to keep vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, confirming it will maintain free passage and impose no tolls as efforts continue to restore navigation through the strategic waterway.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment