The visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which came nearly after a decade, constituted a strong momentum and significant stage to further bilateral ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.
Speaking to reporters on his way back, he evaluated his visit and meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ).
Erdoğan described his talks with MBZ as "highly fruitful" and said the two leaders discussed how to further enhance bilateral relations.
"We also exchanged views on regional and international issues. At this point, we underlined the support we give to the United Arab Emirates’ security and stability. We emphasized that we do not see the security of the Gulf region separate from ours," he said.
Reiterating that 13 memorandums of understandings were signed during the visit, Erdoğan said: "With the letter of intent signed on the defense industry, we agreed on establishing coordination on the joint steps to be taken in the future."
Other areas of cooperation included health, technology, climate action, and crisis and disaster management, among others.
The leading businesspeople he met during his trip showed strong interest in Turkey and expressed their willingness to contribute as investors to Turkey’s technoparks and startup companies.
"We are determined to continue this effort within the framework of mutual respect and trust for our joint interests and the region’s future."
Previously, ties had been strained as Turkey and the oil-rich Emirates backed opposing sides in the Libyan civil war and sparred over issues such as gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Relations were particularly tense after Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain in 2017 cut all links with Qatar, a close ally of Turkey. Those relations were restored in January 2021.
The Turkish president's UAE visit is his first since 2013 when he was prime minister and his first as head of state.
The crown prince said the UAE was keen to cooperate with Turkey "to confront a number of common challenges that the region is witnessing" through dialogue and diplomatic resolve.
The UAE faces a growing threat from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have launched several drone and missile attacks on the Gulf country.
Erdoğan, in a weekend op-ed in the Emirati English-language daily Khaleej Times, said that, "Turkey and the UAE together can contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity."
Following MBZ's visit in November, the UAE announced a $10 billion fund for investments in Turkey.
Converging interests have driven regional power shifts in the Middle East, mainly led by regional powerhouses, Turkey and the UAE.
The diplomatic maneuvering signals a growing realization across the region that the United States’ interest is moving elsewhere and that now is the time for negotiations that were unthinkable just a year ago.
Turkey is also engaged in an effort to mend frayed ties with other regional powers, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Erdoğan also added that Turkey is continuing a "positive dialogue" with Saudi Arabia and wants to take concrete steps in the coming days to improve ties.
Ties between Ankara and Riyadh have been troubled since the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi hit squad at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Following Turkish demands for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and other officials to be prosecuted, Riyadh imposed an unofficial boycott on goods from Turkey.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for Khashoggi's murder. At the time Ankara said the verdict fell short of expectations, but has since softened its tone as part of a broader attempt to repair ties with the Gulf.
"We are continuing our positive dialogue with Saudi Arabia. We want to continue by taking concrete steps in the coming period. We want to develop the process in a positive direction," Erdoğan told reporters on the flight back from the UAE.