MBS to visit Turkey on June 22

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Jun 2022 14:14

The two countries will sign several agreements during the trip, according to a Turkish official.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Sputnik)

Turkish official stated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) will visit Turkey on June 22.

The official added as quoted by AFP that the details of the visit will be announced "over the weekend".

The two countries will sign several agreements during the trip, which is expected to take place in Ankara, but the exact location has yet to be determined, according to the official.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid his first high-level visit to the kingdom in years in April since the 2018 killing of Khashoggi in the Kingdom's Istanbul consulate, which caused a refute between the two countries.

At the time, Erodgan said that the visit was "a manifestation of our common will to begin a new era of cooperation as two brotherly countries."

The trip comes as Turkey - facing an economic crisis fuelled by the collapse of its currency and soaring inflation - tries to draw financial support from energy-rich Gulf countries and to maximize its cooperation with the Israeli occupation "on a win-win basis".

Turkey forgot about Khashoggi

Saudi agents killed and dismembered Khashoggi, an insider turned critic, in the Kingdom's Istanbul consulate in October 2018. His remains have never been found.

Turkey infuriated the Saudis by pressing ahead with an investigation into the murder of The Washington Post Saudi writer. Erdogan revealed that the "highest levels" of the Saudi government ordered the killing.

Saudi Arabia responded by unofficially putting pressure on Turkey's economy through a boycott of Turkish imports.

But trade between the two has been gradually improving, and Saudi Arabia has just announced that MBS is planning a visit to Turkey next week.