Abu Dhabi crown prince in Turkey for first visit in nearly a decade

Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Wednesday arrived in Turkish capital Ankara upon the invitation of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Crown Prince's visit will be his first official visit to Turkey since 2012 and the first top-level meeting between the UAE and Turkey over recent years.

The Crown Prince was welcomed by Turkey's Trade Minister Mehmet Mus and other officials at Ankara Esenboga airport, and President Erdogan held an official welcome ceremony at the presidential complex.

According to a statement by Turkey's Communications Directorate on Tuesday, bilateral relations will be reviewed with all its dimensions, and steps to improve cooperation will be discussed during the meetings in Ankara.

Regional and international developments will also be discussed, the statement added.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with the crown prince earlier this year on Aug. 31, during which they discussed bilateral relations and regional issues.

The Emirati state news agency WAM reported that the two discussed during the phone call the "prospects of reinforcing the relations between the two nations in a way that serves their common interests and their two peoples."

Also, on Aug. 18, President Erdogan received the UAE National Security Adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the presidential complex in Ankara, where they discussed bilateral and regional issues as well as UAE investments in Turkey.