Egypt, Turkey conclude 'frank and in-depth' talks in Cairo

Al-Monitor Staff

Diplomats meet in Cairo — Egyptians Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Sanad Loza (background) meets with his Turkish counterpart Sedat Onal (foreground) in the Foreign Ministry headquarters in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on May 5, 2021. Turkey and Egypt have begun slowly warming ties as they vie for regional primacy a decade after the Arab Spring, but analysts say deep-seated mistrust means full normalization will take time. — KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Two days of high-level talks aimed at normalizing relations between Turkey and Egypt have ended without a breakthrough, but were praised by the regional heavyweights in a joint statement as “frank and in-depth.”

The talks in Cairo “addressed bilateral issues as well as a number of regional issues, in particular the situation in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and the need to achieve peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean region,” the two countries said in a statement.

Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Loza and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal led the talks, which mark the first such meeting between senior diplomats from the two countries since 2013.

“The two sides will evaluate the outcome of this round of consultations and agree on the next steps,” the statement said.

Egypt, Turkey conclude 'frank and in-depth' talks in Cairo

The Egyptian and Turkish deputy foreign ministers chaired two days of talks focused on bilateral and regional issues, including the war in Libya.

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