Erdogan receives rare visit from UAE rivals

UAE national security adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed has arrived in Ankara for talks with President Erdogan, as Turkey continues efforts to mend fences with rival countries in the Middle East

MENA

2 min read

�� Staff & Agencies

19 August, 2021

Tahnoun bin Zayed met Erdogan in Ankara [Getty]

on Wednesday held rare talks with a visiting delegation from the United Arab Emirates, extending Ankara's effort to

The UAE team was headed by the oil-rich Gulf state's national security adviser, , the two sides said in brief statements, adding that trade and economic investments were discussed.

The two sides have suffered from years of difficult relations, and sparring on other regional issues.

In a televised interview, Erdogan said talks held with Abu Dhabi for the last couple of months and led by the Turkish intelligence had reached a certain stage.

"I believe that there will be some more talks in the coming process," he said.

"We are in favour of the main actors in the region directly negotiating and solving the problems."

The that Turkey pushed into searching for new natural gas deposits last year.

But Erdogan has made efforts to reach out to a range of regional rivals, including Egypt, as he tries to break out of a growing diplomatic isolation that has cooled foreign investors in Turkey's fragile economy.

Erdogan's offices noted that the two sides discussed "UAE investments in Turkey."