Today's Zaman Erdoğan meets Saudi king after Egypt's Sisi, prompting speculation President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's meeting with king salman of saudi arabia in Riyadh on Monday, only one day after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's visit, has given rise to speculation that Saudi Arabia may play a mediating role between Turkey and Egypt with the aim of repairing relations between the two countries, which have been at odds for several years. Turkey's support for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) has been a source of tension in the region, negatively affecting Turkey's relations not only with Egypt but also Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The fact that both Erdoğan and Sisi have visited Saudi Arabia at the same time has caused several media outlets to speculate that a Saudi-brokered reconciliation between Turkey and Egypt may be on the way. Read more: http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_erdogan-meets-saudi-king-after-egypts-sisi-prompting-speculation_374095.html Reuters Egypt says foreign investment to double, promises more incentives Egypt expects the amount of foreign investment it attracts to double to $8 billion this fiscal year and is preparing a string of reforms to raise that further in coming years, its investment minister, Ashraf Salman said on Monday. Gulf money is likely to feature heavily among those flows. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have provided Egypt with $23 billion of aid in the 18 months since Islamist President Mohamed Mursi was ousted, Salman said. That includes oil shipments, cash grants and deposits in Egypt's central bank. The three wealthy Gulf governments, deeply opposed to Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood, ramped up aid to Egypt after his ouster and are spending heavily to try to ensure the success of current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/02/egypt-investment-idUSL5N0W428U20150302 The Washington Times Egypt gearing up for major attack on militants in Libya The Egyptian military is preparing to attack Islamic State militants operating in Libya for a second time just as U.S. military leaders are seeking an expanded mandate to stamp out the extremist group in any country where its members reside. Cairo is preparing a new round on airstrikes in Libya, a senior U.S. official told The Washington Times, in retaliation for last month's brutal beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians at the hands of the Islamic State militants. "We have seen indications the Egyptian military is planning to conduct more airstrikes against terrorist targets in Libya," the official said. "This is a sign that the Egyptian government is concerned about the instability in Libya and about the expansion of jihadi radicalism there. This is an area where our interests overlap and may present an opportunity for increased cooperation." Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/2/egypt-gearing-up-for-major-attack-on-militants-in-/ Haaretz The unlikely broker between Hamas and Egypt: Islamic Jihad A delegation of senior Islamic Jihad officials arrived in Cairo overnight Saturday in an effort to advance compromise suggestions that would allow the border crossing between Egypt and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip at Rafah to be reopened and for an easing of tensions between Cairo and Hamas. Palestinian websites have reported that the delegation, which includes Islamic Jihad secretary general Ramadan Shalah and his deputy, Ziad al-Nakhaleh, are to meet with senior Egyptians, most of whom are from Egypt's security and intelligence services. Nakhaleh said the meeting, which had not been scheduled in advance, was part of an effort by all the Palestinian factions to reach an agreement regarding the Rafah crossing, which in turn would pave the way for the rehabilitation of the territory after last summer's war. He said a number of proposals will be put on the table regarding the border crossing. Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/.premium-1.644825
