As President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday embarked on a historical visit to Abu Dhabi after years of tensions, Turkish sources said that the UAE regretted the many years lost in bilateral relations.

"If only these problems had not been experienced and relations had been at this level since the beginning," it was said, the sources explained.

The sources said that Turkey is working especially in the area of investment and that the UAE side showed great interest in Turkey’s defense industry.

The two countries have seen their ties affected by regional tensions, including the conflict in Libya, where the UAE and Turkey have backed opposing sides in recent years.

The sources said that the UAE is currently neutral regarding the Libyan civil war.

Turkey last year accused the UAE of bringing chaos to the Middle East through its interventions in Libya and Yemen, while the UAE and several other countries criticized Turkey’s military actions.

Turkey also sided with Qatar in the Gulf dispute, putting it at odds with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, while Turkish support last year helped Libya’s United Nations-backed government in Tripoli drive back UAE-supported forces attempting to seize the capital.

However, 2021 saw Turkey seeking warmer ties with several regional countries and longtime foes after many tumultuous years.