Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to undertake an official visit to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, starting today, Monday, and lasting for three days. Erdogan stated during a press conference at Istanbul airport that "this visit has two main themes, investments and the financial aspect. We have high hopes for both." He noted, "Turkey will have a serious investment opportunity in defense industries, infrastructure, and superstructure investments in the three countries." Additionally, he mentioned, "These countries will have the opportunity to purchase certain assets from Turkey."
According to a statement from the Turkish presidency's communication department, discussions will encompass various aspects of bilateral relations during the meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. Plans to enhance existing cooperation in various sectors, particularly economic and investment projects, will be discussed. There will also be an exchange of ideas on international and regional issues.
Following his meetings in the three countries, Erdogan will visit the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on July 20 to commemorate "Peace and Freedom Day," where he will attend an official ceremony for this occasion. The Turkish president will exchange views with his counterpart, Ersin Tatar, regarding bilateral relations and recent developments related to the Cyprus issue. He will also inaugurate the new passenger terminal and runway at the Erjan Airport. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus celebrates the "Peace and Freedom Day" annually on July 20 with official and popular events.
Over 200 Turkish businessmen will accompany President Erdogan on his Gulf tour. The Saudi-Turkish Business Forum is set to take place today in Jeddah, while the Qatari-Turkish Business Forum will occur in Doha on July 18, and the Emirati-Turkish Business Forum will be held on July 19 in Abu Dhabi.
**The Importance of Normalizing Relations and Strengthening Cooperation in All Fields**
Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board Chairman Nail Olpak stated that a group of Turkish businessmen under the council's umbrella will accompany Erdogan on his Gulf tour. Olpak explained that there is significant interest among businessmen in the activities of the forums planned to be established in Gulf countries, as these forums create valuable cooperation opportunities between Turkish and Gulf businessmen. "In line with this interest, we are participating with over 200 businessmen as President Erdogan embarks on his Gulf tour, which includes three countries."
Olpak revealed that "the tour includes a series of fruitful meetings, and we expect to negotiate cooperation agreements worth billions of dollars in sectors such as contracting, housing, digital technologies, energy, tourism, health, food, agriculture, transport, and finance." The Saudi-Turkish Business Forum held in Istanbul last week witnessed the signing of 16 cooperation agreements between Saudi and Turkish companies, attended by Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail and Turkish Trade Minister Omar Bolat.
The Foreign Economic Relations Board Chairman noted that "the cooperation we aim to achieve will increase trade volume with all countries in the region, supporting the Turkish export sector, which is preparing to record new record figures in the upcoming period." Olpak highlighted the strong historical, geographical, and cultural ties that connect Turkey with Gulf countries, stating, "Our relations with Qatar have always been good... Moreover, the past years have seen the strengthening of bridges of dialogue and friendship with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
"Now, as we open the doors to a new era together, we look forward to further advancing bilateral economic relations and strengthening warm and strong ties of cooperation between Turkey and the Gulf." He added that the mentioned business forums would enhance mutual trade cooperation with countries in the region and discuss opportunities for joint investments within and outside the region, especially as Turkish businessmen express a desire to collaborate with their Gulf counterparts for mutual investments and in third countries, particularly in Africa.
Furthermore, Olpak explained that the warm dialogue between Turkey and the region on issues like customs and visas has helped to smooth obstacles and stabilize relations positively.
The Gulf countries are working within a vision of economic diversification and sector development. The Foreign Economic Relations Board emphasizes developing cooperation opportunities in sectors and projects of mutual interest, coinciding with the emergence of a wide range of investment and trade opportunities in various sectors in the three Gulf countries. Olpak indicated that these countries lead the Gulf economy, stating, "They are now working according to a vision of economic diversification and industrial sector development."
He noted, "The Turkish private sector, with its strong industry and sectoral diversity, is among the best alternatives that can serve as a model for these countries to work together in executing important projects and exchanging expertise." He concluded, "We believe that this vision contains numerous opportunities for cooperation in various fields such as energy, particularly renewable energy, agriculture and food, digital technologies, e-commerce, financial technology, finance, tourism, housing, and logistics services."
