Türkiye and Egypt reappoint their ambassadors for normalization
Türkiye has sent its ambassador to Cairo for the first time in years as it seeks to mend relations with Egypt. "This step is aimed at re-normalizing relations between the two countries," the two regional powers said in a joint statement.
Türkiye sent its ambassador to Cairo for the first time in years on Tuesday, the latest step in its reconciliation with Egypt. Türkiye's move was a major step towards the restoration of full diplomatic relations.
In a joint statement, the two countries announced the appointment of Salih Mutlu Sen as Türkiye's ambassador to Cairo and Amr Elhamamy as Egypt's ambassador to Ankara.
"This step is towards the renormalization of relations between the two countries and demonstrates the mutual determination to develop bilateral relations in the interests of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples," the statement said.
EGYPT-TÜRKİYE TENSIONS
Tensions between Egypt and Türkiye flared in 2013 when Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was ousted after mass protests. The two countries withdrew their ambassadors.
Morsi came from the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that won Türkiye's support. But Egypt's new government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.
The rapprochement between the two countries comes as a result of Türkiye's outreach to Middle Eastern countries and its efforts to end its international isolation during the economic downturn.
Türkiye has also recently improved relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Source: The Times of Israel
