Late on Sunday, it was reported that the UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, known his initials MbZ, would pay a visit to Turkey to meet with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit comes amidst warming ties between Ankara and Abu Dhabi.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry officials confirmed that the visit would take place. Yet, they did not specify any date when it would happen.
Meanwhile, there are different speculations regarding the timing of the visit. Emirati sources familiar with the issue reported that the Emirati top official is expected to arrive in Ankara on early Monday. On the other hand, Turkish sources stated that the prospective meeting could extend to next week.
According to the sources, a wide range of issues, including economy and bilateral ties, are expected to be discussed. The most prominent issue that Abu Dhabi Crown Prince will bring forward is establishing a commercial corridor that would connect Turkey and the UAE through Iran, the sources added.
Through Iran, the aforementioned trade route will be shortened by 10-12 days via road transport. Currently, it lasts 20 days by sea between the Sharjah and Mersin ports through the Suez Canal.
On the issue, Iran has recently made an official announcement.
Ankara and Abu Dhabi have engaged in talks for a while to mend ties between the two countries. On 19 August, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received the UAE National Security Adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Following the meeting, Erdogan confirmed that Turkey and the UAE, fierce Middle East rivals, have been in contact in recent months and have made some progress.
The meeting was followed by a rare telephone conversation between MbZ and Erdogan at the end of August. According to Turkey’s Communications Directorate, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince discussed bilateral relations and regional developments.
