Egyptian trade minister due in Türkiye in 1st visit in 10 years

Egypt’s trade minister is set to arrive in Türkiye on August 1, according to media reports, in what will mark the first such visit in a decade as the two countries restore normal diplomatic relations.

The two-day trip of Ahmed Samir Saleh comes weeks after Türkiye and Egypt appointed ambassadors to each other’s capitals for the first time in 10 years after countries moved to repair relations, which have been strained since a military coup in Egypt in 2013, Daily Sabah reports.

Normalization accelerated after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi shook hands in Doha at the World Cup in 2022 and gained further pace following the deadly February earthquakes in Türkiye and Erdoğan’s reelection in May.

Saleh's visit comes upon the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Ömer Bolat. The two are expected to hold talks on economic cooperation and trade and meet with businesspeople of the two countries, private broadcaster NTV reported on July 31.

Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Egypt were maintained at the level of charge d'affaires on both sides since the 2013 military coup, which overthrew the late Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

Cairo and Ankara have also been at odds over Libya, where they backed opposing factions in an unresolved conflict, and also over maritime borders in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean. However, Türkiye has dismissed claims of rivalry with Egypt in the region and reiterated its willingness for more cooperation.

Egypt, which has been struggling to manage an acute foreign currency shortage, said in March that Turkish companies had committed to $500 million in new investments in the country.

The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Türkiye’s efforts to build bridges with countries in the region where Ankara has recently also repaired its ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Erdoğan has repeatedly said Türkiye hoped to maximize its cooperation with Egypt and Gulf nations "on a win-win basis," intensifying diplomacy after years of tensions.