Egypt and Turkey Hold Two-Day Consultations to Normalize Relations

Egypt and Turkey announced on Tuesday that they will hold political talks in Cairo on May 5 and 6, as part of efforts to restore relations between the two countries. A statement issued by the foreign ministries of both countries said, "The exploratory discussions will focus on the necessary steps that could lead to normalizing relations between the two countries at the bilateral level and in the regional context." Egypt and Turkey have differed in recent years due to conflicting positions on the Muslim Brotherhood, the conflict in Libya, and maritime borders in the Eastern Mediterranean. Relations between the two countries have strained since the Egyptian military ousted a president affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood who was close to Turkey in 2013, an event that Ankara referred to as a military coup.