After nearly a decade of tensions and mistrust, relations between Türkiye and Egypt could be headed towards normalisation. Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met his Egyptian counterpart Abdel- Fattah el-Sissi for the first time, just as the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Doha. President Erdogan said that ministerial level talks with Egypt could begin, ending one of Türkiye's last remaining diplomatic freezes in the region. During a recent event in Konya, President Erdogan said that there is no room for hard feelings in politics and that his Egyptian counterpart el-Sissi was very happy with their brief meeting. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister announced that the two countries could appoint an ambassador in the coming months, ending a nine-year absence. Ties between Ankara and Cairo turned hostile in 2013 after the overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi. Egypt's support for the Saudi-led blockade against Qatar also strained its ties with Türkiye. So has one of the last diplomatic dominoes fallen, and how will the rapprochement between Türkiye and Egypt impact the region?

GUESTS

Umberto Profazio

Associate Fellow at IISS

Ali Bakeer

Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council