ANKARA — The foreign ministers of Turkey and Egypt spoke by
phone on Saturday, the Turkish foreign ministry said, their first direct
contact since a push by Ankara to improve strained ties between the regional
powerhouses.
اضافة اعلان
The two ministers exchanged good wishes over the Islamic
holy month of Ramadan, which starts next week, the ministry added, but gave no
further details.
Last month, Turkey said it had resumed diplomatic contacts
with Egypt and wanted to improve cooperation after years of tensions since the
Egyptian army toppled a Muslim Brotherhood president close to President Tayyip
Erdogan in 2013.
“Our Minister Mr Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke with Egypt’s Foreign
Minister Sameh Shoukry with the aim of reciprocally celebrating the month of
Ramadan,” the ministry said.
A thaw in ties between the two nations could have
repercussions around the Mediterranean. They have backed rival sides in the war
in Libya and sealed conflicting maritime deals with other coastal states.
Cairo has said Turkey’s actions “must show alignment with
Egyptian principles” to normalize ties.
Last month, Ankara asked Egyptian opposition TV channels
operating in Turkey to moderate criticism of Cairo, in the first concrete step
to ease tensions. It also offered to help Egypt resolve a blockage on the Suez
Canal.
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