Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will start an official visit to Egypt on Wednesday, at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The visit is part of the ongoing rapprochement between the two countries after a decade of estrangement. The Turkish presidency said on Sunday that Erdogan will discuss with Al-Sisi ways to improve bilateral relations and activate high-level cooperation mechanisms. They will also discuss current global and regional issues, especially the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Erdogan said on Monday that he will talk with Al-Sisi about various bilateral issues, mainly defense, economy, tourism and trade, as well as Israel's attacks on Gaza. He condemned the Israeli assault on Rafah in southern Gaza, and blamed the "hypocritical policy of the Western powers" for Israel's boldness. Al-Sisi and Erdogan met last September, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, and reviewed bilateral relations, trade and energy cooperation. On July 4, Egypt upgraded its diplomatic relations with Turkey to the ambassadorial level, as part of the improvement of ties between the two countries after an 11-year break. Egypt appointed Ambassador Amr Hammami as its envoy in Ankara, while Turkey appointed Ambassador Saleh Mutlu Shin as its envoy in Cairo, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. On June 3, 2023, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attended the inauguration ceremony of the Turkish president, after he won the presidential elections. The Egyptian president also congratulated his Turkish counterpart on his victory, and the two presidents agreed, during a phone call on May 29, to enhance diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors. During a visit by the Egyptian Foreign Minister to Ankara last April, Egypt and Turkey agreed on a specific time frame for upgrading diplomatic relations, and preparing for a summit between the two presidents. The visit is of great significance as it is the first official presidential visit in 11 years. The last visit of a Turkish president to Egypt was by former President Abdullah Gul in February 2013. Erdogan's last visit to Cairo as prime minister was in November 2012.
