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Kisses on the Red Sea: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman in Jeddah in April – the return visit is now to take place
Photo: HANDOUT/AFP
Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been on hold for years, and now the two Middle Eastern countries are pushing their rapprochement again.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan only traveled to Saudi Arabia in April – according to Ankara, the return visit is now to follow.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a state visit to Turkey.
Bin Salman is expected in the Turkish capital next Wednesday and hopes for further improvements in relations, said Erdoğan.
The rapprochement between the two countries is part of geopolitical power shifts and the formation of new alliances in the region.
Above all, Turkey, which is partially isolated in terms of foreign policy, is trying to expand its bilateral relations with Arab countries, among others.
Turkey also hopes to revive its ailing economy - preferably with investors from Saudi Arabia.
The Turkish national currency, the lira, is losing value, inflation is rising and with it the dissatisfaction of the population - Erdoğan's poll numbers are falling.
Method delivered surprisingly
The brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 had previously strained relations between the two countries.
At the time, the journalist and government critic visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to collect documents for his upcoming wedding.
Arrived at the consulate, he was killed by a special commando from Riyadh.
The body was dismembered, but Khashoggi's body was never found.
US secret services see the crown prince as the mastermind.
The royal family rejects this.
The Turkish government had also made sharp accusations against Saudi Arabia and negotiated the murder in its own country.
In April, to the outrage of many, the court case was suddenly handed over to Saudi Arabia.
Shortly thereafter, Erdoğan returned to Saudi Arabia for the first time in almost four years.
mrc/dpa