Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed, on Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who arrived in Ankara for an official visit. El-Sisi’s plane landed at Esenboga Airport, where he was greeted by Erdogan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Ankara Governor Vasip Sahin, and other officials.

After the airport reception, Erdogan and el-Sisi proceeded to the Presidential Complex. The two leaders are set to hold their first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and will also participate in an agreement-signing ceremony and a joint news conference. It is worth noting that el-Sisi's visit to Turkiye was extended at Erdogan's invitation.

The leaders are expected to discuss steps toward implementing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and working to provide it with humanitarian aid amid the ongoing Israeli aggression.

El-Sisi and Erdogan are speculated to exchange views on expanding cooperation, including strengthening bilateral trade and defense cooperation. Additionally, the two politicians will address regional issues such as Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The meeting comes amid the normalization process between the two countries after their diplomatic ties were severed in 2013.

Turkish President Erdogan made his first visit to Egypt since 2012 on February 14 to meet President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in a big step forward towards rebuilding relations between the two countries.

Bloomberg reported that the talks between Erdogan and el-Sisi will mainly focus on facilitating aid entry into Gaza and potential steps that could be taken to end the war.

The visit is part of diplomatic efforts in recent years to rekindle the nations' relations. They mutually appointed ambassadors last year, and this month Turkiye announced it would provide Egypt with military drones.

Improving relations

Relations between Ankara and Cairo went awry in 2013 after Sisi led the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi, an ally of Turkiye who was popularly elected the year before.

Erdogan has attempted to soften tensions with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and "Israel" since 2021, however, since October 7 he has severely opposed Netanyahu amid the Israeli genocide against Gaza. 

Egypt, "Israel", Qatar, and the United States held inconclusive talks yesterday discussing steps towards a ceasefire in Gaza in which Egypt announced that it will not allow Palestinian refugees across its borders. 

Last September, both presidents met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi and they agreed to strengthen relations and cooperation, improve diplomatic relations between the two countries, and mutually appoint ambassadors.

Last May, over a phone call, the Egyptian president congratulated President Erdogan on his victory in the Turkish presidential elections. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry also visited Turkiye last February, in solidarity with Ankara, following the major earthquake that struck the country.