Erdoğan-Sisi meeting to start to develop bilateral ties: Egypt

An Egyptian presidential spokesperson has said that the shake-hand between Turkish President Erdoğan and Egyptian President Sisi will be the start to develop bilateral relations between two countries.

Anadolu Agency

Egypt said on Nov. 21 that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed that their meeting in Doha will be the start to develop bilateral relations between Cairo and Ankara.

The two leaders met on Nov. 21 in the Qatari capital on the sidelines of the opening of the World Cup.

A presidential spokesperson said that the shake-hand between the two leaders reflects the depth of relations between the two countries.

“It was agreed that this would be the beginning of the development of bilateral relations,” he added.

"We said that a process can begin. A step has been taken here to start such a process and we had the talks. It is my hope that we want to move the process -- that started with our ministers -- to a good point later, hopefully to the high-level meetings," Erdoğan said.

The unity of the Turkish nation and the Egyptian people in the past is very important to Turkey, Erdoğan said, adding: "Why not again, why not start again? We gave a signal."

He added Turkey expects Egypt to establish peace together against those who take a stand against them in the Mediterranean.

Ankara's ties with Cairo have been strained since Sisi, then Egypt's army chief, led the 2013 ouster of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was strongly supported by Erdoğan.