Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty thanked the Turkish people Thursday for according a "warm welcome" to Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, who recently joined the Turkish football club Trabzonspor.
"We thank the Turkish people for the warm welcome extended to star player Mohamed Salah of Trabzonspor, which has touched our hearts," Abdelatty said at a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Fidan is on an official visit to Egypt.
Abdelatty said relations between Türkiye and Egypt are "indeed built on strong foundations."
"We oppose and condemn all Israeli attacks on Syria's sovereignty," he said.
Abdelatty also said Egypt is in "full agreement" with Türkiye on supporting Sudan's territorial integrity and rejects any division of the country.
On Gaza, he said: "The Palestinian groups in Gaza have acted responsibly with respect to laying down their arms and beginning the political process. Israel must also fulfill its obligations."
He said Egypt opposes any attempt to obstruct the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan.
Abdelatty said the two ministers held constructive discussions at a time when the region is facing major challenges, adding that continuous consultation between Türkiye and Egypt is increasingly important.
He also said there is strong political will to further develop bilateral relations.
He pointed to the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as well as the Joint Planning Group co-chaired by the two foreign ministers.
According to Abdelatty, regular meetings and high-level consultations are helping strengthen dialogue and cooperation.
Economic and commercial relations were among the main issues discussed during the meeting. Abdelatty said Türkiye-Egypt relations are based on solid foundations and represent an important pillar of regional stability and cooperation.
He noted that bilateral trade has reached $9 billion and said the two countries aim to raise that figure to $15 billion.
He called for more effective use of the free trade agreement between the two countries, saying it could create new opportunities for investment and economic cooperation. He also welcomed the growing presence of Turkish companies in Egypt.
The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in industry, joint production, logistics, energy, transportation, mining, information technology and renewable energy. Technical training, technology transfer and human resource development were also addressed.
Abdelatty said Türkiye and Egypt also want to strengthen cooperation in education, vocational training, higher education, tourism, culture, archaeology, health, civil aviation, youth and sports.
He added that the two countries share similar views on many regional and international issues and will continue working to strengthen their strategic partnership.
The situation in the Palestinian territories was one of the main topics of the talks. Abdelatty said Egypt rejects and condemns Israeli violations against Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
He stressed that Egypt would not accept any compromise on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. He also condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and violations affecting Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Abdelatty said he and Fidan discussed in detail the importance of implementing the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan.
He said the second phase clearly provides for both the handover of weapons and Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, stressing that the two elements should be implemented in a balanced and simultaneous manner.
"We condemn any policy or action that would obstruct the implementation of the second phase of (US) President (Donald) Trump's plan," he said.
Abdelatty said Palestinian groups in Gaza have acted responsibly regarding the handover of weapons and the beginning of the political process, adding that Israel must now meet its own commitments.
He also called on Israel to fulfill its obligations under the first phase of the plan, including ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid at a level of 600 trucks per day and rehabilitating hospitals and clinics.
He said continued international pressure is needed to ensure that Israel complies with the second phase.
Abdelatty said developments in Libya were also discussed. He stressed the importance of Türkiye and Egypt increasing their joint efforts to support the unification of Libyan state institutions and a Libyan-led political solution.
He said ending divisions in Libya's executive authority and unifying state institutions could pave the way for simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections.
He also emphasized the need to remove foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya and protect the country's territorial integrity.
Sudan was another major topic of discussion. Abdelatty said Egypt and Türkiye are cooperating in efforts to restore security and stability there.
He said both countries agree on several key principles, including achieving a ceasefire, preserving Sudan's national institutions, and launching an inclusive political process led by the Sudanese people.
Abdelatty stressed that humanitarian aid must reach all parts of Sudan and said the Sudanese army and state institutions should not be placed on the same level as militia groups.
He also warned that weapons smuggling to militias is contributing to the escalation of the conflict.
"There is no military solution in Sudan," he said, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic and political efforts.
Asked whether Egypt could join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement involving Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Abdelatty said the issue is being seriously and comprehensively reviewed by Egyptian state institutions.
He noted that Egypt has strong relations with all three countries but said defense commitments require careful examination in accordance with the Egyptian Constitution and legal obligations.
Abdelatty said the proposal is being studied at a time when the region is facing unprecedented challenges and several new ideas for regional cooperation are being discussed.
Abdelatty also said the war in Ukraine and its economic impact on Egypt and other developing countries were discussed.
He noted that Egypt is one of the world's largest importers of wheat and grain and depends partly on shipping routes through the Black Sea.
For this reason, he said Egypt supports efforts to ensure the continued flow of food shipments and safe maritime navigation in the region.
He also expressed support for Türkiye's efforts to revive the Black Sea Grain Corridor Agreement signed in Istanbul in 2022 and for initiatives aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
