Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated on Friday that diplomatic relations with Turkey could resume this year if outstanding issues are resolved, following recent meetings between the two countries aimed at normalizing relations. In an interview with Bloomberg, Madbouly emphasized that the main concern for Egypt remains Turkey's involvement in Libya. He added, "No other country should intervene in Libya or try to influence decision-making there; we would like to leave the Libyans to decide their own future."
Commenting on the Egyptian-Turkish dialogue, Madbouly noted, "Many developments have occurred in recent months, but there are still some pending issues." Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg that Cairo is "eager to find a solution" and a framework for restoring normal relations with Ankara. Shoukry explained that there is more work to be done, asserting that when Egypt is satisfied with resolving outstanding issues, the door will open for further progress.
The Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministries announced that Ankara and Cairo renewed their desire to take additional steps to enhance efforts to normalize relations between the two countries. Both sides agreed to continue those consultations, reaffirming their intention to make progress on the topics at hand and the necessity of taking further steps to facilitate the normalization of relations between them. The second round of consultations took place between delegations led by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal and Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamdi Sanad Loza in Ankara on September 7-8, 2021.
