Egypt, Turkey to normalize the long-stranded relations

Diplomats from Egypt and Turkey concluded two days of talks in Cairo on May 6 to explore ways of normalizing relations between the two countries after eight years of political tension.

The discussions were the first high-level public talks between the two regional heavyweights since Egypt deposed Turkey’s Muslim Brotherhood ally Mohammed Morsi in 2013, a move that angered Ankara and led to a disruption in Egyptian-Turkish relations.

Both Cairo and Ankara expelled ambassadors in 2013 and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched several verbal attacks on his Egyptian counterpart.

Turkey also gave refuge to hundreds of members of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt blacklisted as a terrorist organization in 2013. Several Brotherhood-affiliated TV channels also aired anti-Egypt rhetoric from the Turkish territory.

Cairo will not move forward toward normalizing relations with Ankara until Turkey makes substantial foreign policy changes and complies with the Egyptian demands — the most important of which are Turkey’s withdrawal from Libya and the extradition of wanted Brotherhood members.