Gaza on the agenda as Turkiye’s Erdogan meets Egypt’s el-Sisi in Cairo 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have condemned recent “ceasefire” violations in Gaza after a spate of Israeli attacks and have urged the full implementation of the US-backed plan to end Israel’s two-year genocidal war against the Palestinian people of Gaza.

The two leaders made the remarks on Wednesday during a joint press conference in Cairo, where Erdogan is on an official visit for talks and the signing of cooperation agreements with his Egyptian counterpart.

Erdogan said the Palestinian cause topped their agenda as a humanitarian tragedy continues to unfold in Gaza. He added that Turkiye and Egypt would continue coordinating on peace efforts in the enclave, where Israeli attacks today have killed 23 people, including children, despite the truce.

The two leaders also discussed a range of broader international issues, including their concerns about Iran, Sudan and Somaliland.

Both stressed the need for a truce and a comprehensive peace deal to end Sudan’s nearly three-year civil war.

Erdogan, whose country is attempting to mediate between the US and Iran amid rising tensions, said diplomacy was the “most appropriate method” to resolve their disputes, including over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The Turkish president also criticised Israel’s recognition of Somaliland last year, calling the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty.

Erdogan and el-Sisi inked numerous bilateral agreements covering defence, health and agriculture, and discussed plans to deepen trade ties, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.

“We also affirmed the necessity of working to raise the volume of trade exchange to $15bn and removing any obstacles that may hinder achieving this goal,” said el-Sisi, who along with Erdogan was to attend the closing session of a bilateral business forum in the Egyptian capital.

Erdogan’s Cairo visit followed a trip a day earlier to Saudi Arabia, where Ankara says it also plans to strengthen economic and energy cooperation. It was Erdogan’s first visit to the kingdom in more than two years, signalling warmer ties after years of strain following the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

“The two sides agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the fields of oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals,” as well as in “electricity and renewable energy … building on Saudi Arabia’s massive energy investments”, said a statement by the Turkish presidency.