Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied that his visit to Saudi Arabia, which coincided with that of Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, denoted a Saudi effort to reconcile both countries that have been involved in a media and diplomatic 'war' since 2013.
In a press conference held at the Istanbul Ataturk Airport before his departure to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Erdogan rebuffed reports about a possible meeting with the Egyptian leader under Saudi mediation.
When asked whether a reconciliation with Egypt’s Sisi was planned during the visit, Erdogan replied, “Are you kidding me?”
Sisi also denied the suggestion, saying that both visits occuring concurrently was a mere coincidence. He told the Al-Arabiya news website that Turkey had not ceased to intervene in Egypt’s domestic affairs despite the fact that Egypt has declined to escalate tensions.
Turkey’s political leadership has frequently rejected Sisi’s role in ousting its ally Mohamed Morsy in 2013. The military coup prompted a dissolution in diplomatic ties with Cairo.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
