(UTV | TURKEY) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia and meet the country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), marking a turnaround in relations that had hit a low following the 2018 murder of a prominent Saudi critic at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
As well as meeting the Crown Prince MBS, Erdogan will meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Thursday, according to senior Turkish officials.
There was no confirmation of the visit or meeting from the Saudi side.
“Many issues, from economy, investments, regional issues, leaving behind the troubled times in bilateral ties will be discussed,” an official who wished to remain anonymous told. “It is expected to be an efficient meeting for both sides.”
If realized, the meeting will be the culmination of months of efforts by Ankara to repair ties, as it seeks to alleviate growing economic woes.
Turkey this month decided to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents on Turkish soil. Its decision to transfer the case to Saudi Arabia removed a key obstacle to improved ties and Erdogan’s visit.
The case became a bigger headache for the Saudi crown prince after a US intelligence assessment concluded that he had likely ordered the operation. The prince has denied any involvement, though he has said that he accepts responsibility for the killing, as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler.
In November 2018, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the murder was “premeditated” and that the order to kill Khashoggi had come from the “highest levels” of the Saudi government.
Ankara’s comments, which came amid a widespread global outcry, prompted an unofficial Saudi boycott of Turkish products. Ankara has since sharply toned down its rhetoric towards Riyadh, and has gone as far as saying there are no bilateral issues between the two regional powers.