In a phone call, President Erdogan and the Saudi monarch discuss bilateral relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, relations between the two countries.

This came during a phone call between them on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Presidency of the Communication Department of the Turkish Presidency. The statement indicated that President Erdogan and King Salman discussed bilateral relations during the call.

The two leaders discussed the steps to be taken to enhance joint cooperation, as well as evaluating many issues between the two countries, and they also agreed to keep channels of communication open between Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Turkey is seeking to improve relations with Saudi Arabia after the outbreak of a crisis following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018 by a Saudi assassination team.

Tuesday’s call came a day before a meeting between Turkish and Egyptian officials was held in Cairo, in the latest step in Turkey’s efforts to repair relations with another Arab country, an ally of the United States.

Turkey said in March that it had started talks with Egypt, in an attempt to improve relations that collapsed after the Egyptian army ousted a Muslim Brotherhood president who was close to Turkey in 2013, which Ankara described as a military coup.