Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi on Wednesday called for a ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip, stressing that the two countries share a common approach to the conflict.
Al-Sissi was in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday for the first time since he took office as president in 2014. The visit is aimed at rapprochement between the two countries.
His visit to Turkey lays the foundation for further cooperation between the two countries, al-Sissi told a joint press conference with Erdogan.
The two leaders signed agreements in areas ranging from trade, energy to defense, Erdogan said.
Turkey and Egypt share a common position in Gaza, namely to achieve a ceasefire, Erdogan told reporters.
Egyptian President al-Sissi stressed that Turkey and Egypt agree on the need for an “immediate ceasefire” to end what he called an “unprecedented catastrophe” in Gaza.
In the Gaza war, Egypt, together with the US and Qatar, has been trying for months to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, negotiations have stalled.
Relations between Turkey and Egypt have been tense for years, partly over Erdogan’s support for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, whose loyalists have been cracked down on by Egypt in recent years.
In February, Erdogan visited Egypt for the first time since 2012 and spoke of a turning point in bilateral relations.
