On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia expressed its approval of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Turkey. This development indicates a positive shift towards the normalization of relations between the two countries, following a period of strained ties that lasted for approximately ten years.
Egypt and Turkey had announced on Tuesday that they have appointed ambassadors to each other’s capitals for the first time in a decade to restore normal diplomatic relations.
Ties between the two countries broke down in 2013 after Egypt’s then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi, an ally of Ankara. Egypt expelled Turkey’s ambassador and accused Ankara of backing organizations bent on undermining the country.
They have not had ambassadors since.
Saudi Arabia, according to a statement by the foreign ministry, “praised” the reappointment of ambassadors, saying that “this move will reflect positively on enhancing regional and international security and peace and on serving common interests in a way that achieves the aspirations of the countries and the people of the region.”