"If we set to the side the manner in which the regime in Egypt was changed, and the wrongs inflicted upon [former Egyptian President Mohammed] Morsi and his circle, then there is nothing standing in the way of developing ties between us.” Those were the words of Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on the same day that his country signed an agreement normalizing relations with Israel.

In regard to the possibility that in the near future reciprocal visits by Turkish and Egyptian senior officials could take place, Yildirim told the official Turkish press agency Anatolia, “It is possible to organize mutual visits involving officials and businessmen of the two countries, and mutual communications concerning [affairs in] the military realm.”

The Turkish side also hinted at a gradual restoration of ties with Egypt. "It is possible for our investors to travel to Egypt and develop their investments. This might lead in the future to a thawing of the climate [that in turn might lead] to a normalization of relations, and even of relations at the ministerial level. There is nothing preventing this from happening and we harbor no reservations concerning this matter," Yildirim said.

In response to that initiative, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued an official statement the same day expressing its discomfort with the ongoing contradictions in Turkish statements and positions.