Synchronization of the positions of Cairo and Ankara on certain regional issues could lead to progress in resolving them, experts told "Ash Sharq al-Awsat" magazine. According to analysts, as a result of warming relations between the two key powers in the Middle East, it is possible to achieve a breakthrough, writes BTA.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made his first visit to Turkey on Wednesday since his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Egypt in February this year. Al-Sisi said his visit reflected a shared desire for a new stage of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, given their key role in the region.
During the first meeting of the Egypt-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council chaired by the two leaders, cooperation regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian movement "Hamas" was discussed. in the Gaza Strip, the civil war in Sudan, the tensions in Somalia and the situation in Libya, Syria and Iraq.
Ankara-based specialist in international relations Taha Ouda points out the importance of the positions shared by Egypt and Turkey on Gaza, Sudan and Libya. According to him, changes are coming in the foreign policy of both countries regarding regional issues. The high-level meetings between the two presidents mark a new era of political and economic partnership, Ouda believes.
Tarek Fahmy, a professor of political science at Cairo University, notes that rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey is likely to lead to a breakthrough on several regional issues. Both sides are motivated to work on the topics of mutual interest and coordinate their efforts in favor of their own priorities. Fahmi is of the opinion that the normalization between Cairo and Ankara is a key step for the situation in the region.
During a joint press conference with Erdogan, al-Sisi emphasized the united position of Egypt and Turkey in their call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and rejection of "Israeli escalation in the West Bank". The two leaders also called for an agreement that fulfills the desire of the Palestinian people to create their own state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Fahmi is convinced that the elevation of relations between Cairo and Ankara to a strategic dialogue will lead to a qualitative change in dealing with regional crises, including cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean and regarding Libya and the Horn of Africa. Egypt plays a mediating role in the Syrian conflict, in which Turkey is involved, and Turkey, for its part, mediates on issues in the Nile River basin and makes efforts to reduce tensions in the Red Sea, the expert explains.
The two presidents agreed on holding consultations to achieve security and political stability in Libya, holding presidential and parliamentary elections, withdrawing foreign military forces and fighters, disbanding armed militias.
The talks also touched on the crisis in Sudan and Egypt's efforts in cooperation with other countries to achieve a ceasefire and a political solution. As for the Horn of Africa, al-Sisi and Erdogan agreed that it is necessary to preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia.
According to Egypt's former assistant foreign minister Gamal Bayoumi, economic cooperation and investment will take priority over coordination on regional issues. Joint work in the Eastern Mediterranean regarding energy and natural gas will be among the first areas of cooperation between Egypt and Turkey, Bayoumi added.