Erdogan arrives in UAE amid troubled relations
3 Min Read
Turkey is trying to resume relations with the UAE as it eyes Gulf investments in its inflation ravaged economy.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the UAE for the first time in what nearly amounted to a decade in a bid to kick-start their ties once again after they had been strained due to regional disputes.
Erdogan arrived at the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, and he was greeted by Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, state-owned WAM news agency reported.
The conflict between Ankara and Abu Dhabi has been over Libya and the Gulf, as they each backed opposing sides to the Libyan conflict and a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, not to mention a dispute over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
The tensions simmered down following UAE de facto ruler Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to Ankara in November, which had been the Gulf state's first high-level visit to Turkey since 2012.
Speaking about the trip that took place a few months ago at the airport before departing to Abu Dhabi, Erdogan told reporters it "marked the beginning of a new era in relations."
Erdogan's visit is his first since 2013 when he held the premiership, and it is his first since assuming the presidency.
"We are planning to take steps that will bring relations back to the level they deserve," Erdogan said, adding that bilateral dialogue and cooperation were "important to the peace and stability in our region."
In preparation for receiving the Turkish president, who will attend Dubai Expo 2020 despite calls for boycotting the event due to its complicity with the Israeli occupation and the horrible conditions under which it was constructed, the UAE lit up Burj Khalifa in the colors of the Emirati and Turkish flags.
Following Al Nahyan's visit to Ankara, the UAE announced a $10 billion fund for investments in Turkey, amid a devastating inflation crisis that has ravaged the country, reaching a near 20-year high in January.
Sources had last month confirmed Erdogan's visit to the UAE, saying he might also go to Saudi Arabia.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on November 29, 2021, that Turkey would take steps to repair ties with estranged enemies Egypt and "Israel," similar to what it did with the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks, which resulted in investments, according to media outlets cited by Reuters.
Ahead of Al Nahyan's visit though, Erdogan had said the UAE would make "serious investments" in Turkey.
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