KSA buys Turkish drones during Erdogan's visit
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The Turkish President and the Saudi Crown Prince attended the signing ceremony between Turkish military firm Baykar and the Saudi defense ministry during Erdogan's first stop on his Gulf tour.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) hugs Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) before a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, April 28, 2022. (AP)
Saudi Arabia agreed to buy Turkish drones on Tuesday, one of several lucrative contracts gained for Turkey's economy as Ankara reaps the advantages of President Tayyip Erdogan's recent diplomatic campaign to mend ties with Arab nations.
Erdogan arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah on Monday for the first stop of a Gulf tour and attended, along with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the signing ceremony of a deal between Turkish defense firm Baykar and the Saudi defense ministry, Saudi State News agency SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia will acquire the drones "with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities," Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday.
When Ankara made a diplomatic campaign to mend ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2021, investments and finance from the Gulf helped relieve the strain on Turkey's economy and currency reserves.
Additionally, two acquisition contracts were signed between @modgovksa and @BaykarTech, under which @modgovksa will acquire drones, with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the Kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities.
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) July 18, 2023
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On another note, Erdogan will travel to Qatar on Tuesday for the second stop of his first Gulf tour since his re-election in May, and he is due in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
Erdogan and Prince Mohammed attended the signing of a defense cooperation plan by Prince Khalid and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, according to SPA. Additionally, the two countries also inked several memorandums of understanding in different sectors including energy, real estate, and direct investments.
Moreover, according to Ankara, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek traveled to the UAE last month to discuss "economic cooperation opportunities" with counterparts and met President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
Turkey mending ties
Erdogan traveled to Saudi Arabia in April 2022 and Prince Mohammed visited Turkey in June of the previous year. The Turkish President's latest trip to Saudi Arabia takes place as Turkey fights a depreciation of its currency and high inflation that has harmed its economy.
As Ankara looks to non-Western friends for ways to ameliorate its economy, the two nations will sign several agreements during Erdogan's visit, a senior Saudi official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
After being re-elected in May for a second five-year term, Erdogan's journey to the Gulf will be followed by a visit to northern Cyprus, which Turkey invaded and occupied in 1974. "Erdogan's visit to the Gulf after the critical elections held in Turkey itself reflects the importance of the Gulf states in the Turkish foreign policy agenda," researcher at Qatar University Sinem Cengiz told AFP.
"Growing Gulf interest in investing in diverse sectors is a boost for Turkey, which is trying to increase exports to help ease its economic problems," he added regarding the Gulf-Turkish relations.
