Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, proper, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi pose for the media throughout a signing ceremony of bilateral agreements on the presidential palace in Ankara, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. | Picture credit score: AP
The presidents of Turkey and Egypt on Wednesday (4 September 2024) discovered frequent floor on the warfare in Gaza as they continued to fix their long-tense relations, stressing the necessity for a everlasting ceasefire and assured supply of humanitarian help.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi spoke in the course of the Egyptian chief’s first official go to to Ankara after years of tensions between the regional powers.
“Turkey and Egypt have a typical place on the Palestinian situation,” Erdogan stated after he and el-Sissi oversaw the signing of cooperation agreements. “Ending the 11-month-old genocide, establishing a everlasting ceasefire as quickly as potential and the unhindered move of humanitarian help stay our priorities.”
In February, Erdogan made his first go to to Egypt in additional than a decade after the international locations agreed to restore relations and reappoint their ambassadors. He stated the international locations needed to extend bilateral commerce to $15 billion within the coming years.
Relations between Egypt and Turkey, which has lengthy supported the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group, soured a decade in the past after the Egyptian navy ousted President Mohamed Morsi, who belonged to the Brotherhood, amid mass protests towards his divisive rule. Egypt additionally outlawed the group as a terrorist group.
In recent times, Ankara has moved away from criticizing el-Sisi’s authorities, aiming to enhance strained relations with Egypt and different Arab nations whereas searching for funding amid an financial disaster. In November 2022, Erdogan and el-Sisi have been photographed shaking fingers on the World Cup in Qatar.
The Egyptian international minister then traveled to Turkey in 2023 to point out solidarity after a lethal earthquake hit elements of southern Turkey and Syria.
That is el-Sissi’s first go to to Turkey since he was elected president in 2014, a yr after main the navy overthrow of Morsi.
“We should work collectively to forestall humanitarian crises, particularly by collectively addressing regional points,” Mr. al-Sissi stated. “We should work extra intensively, particularly with our brothers in Gaza and Palestine. On this context, each Turkey and Egypt confused that an pressing ceasefire have to be established as quickly as potential.”
Mr Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israel’s navy actions, accused the Israeli authorities of “condemning” the folks of Gaza to starvation and thirst.
“Israel and its supporters are chargeable for each harmless one who dies from starvation, thirst or lack of medication,” he stated.
He additionally informed reporters that Turkey needed to cooperate with Egypt on pure fuel and nuclear power.
Mr Erdogan welcomed Mr el-Sissi on the steps of his aircraft at Ankara airport, a gesture he not often makes.
Mr al-Sissi stated on Fb that his journey to Turkey and Mr Erdogan’s go to to Cairo in February “replicate the joint will to start out a brand new period of friendship and cooperation between Egypt and Turkey”.
Egypt, together with Qatar and the US, a key Israeli ally, has been working for months to attempt to negotiate a ceasefire and the return of the greater than 100 hostages nonetheless held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Negotiations have stalled following recent Israeli calls for.
Egypt opposes any Israeli presence on the Gaza aspect of its border, arguing that it will jeopardize the decades-old peace treaty between the 2 international locations, a cornerstone of regional stability. Hamas had referred to as for Turkey to be included as a guarantor in ceasefire negotiations, however the proposal was not accepted.
The warfare started with Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7, through which militants killed some 1,200 folks, largely civilians, and took about 250 hostages. The full Palestinian dying toll in Gaza has now exceeded 40,000, in line with the Gaza Well being Ministry.
Printed – September 04, 2024 11:50 pm IST
