Türkiye’s president and Saudi Arabia's crown prince described their recent talks as the start of “a new era of co-operation”. President Erdogan welcomed Mohammed bin Salman in Ankara on Wednesday, where the two leaders discussed strengthening political, economic and security ties. Restoring their once lucrative trade relationship was a key point both touched on during their meeting. It included working to increase the number of flights between the two countries, easing bilateral trade restrictions and exploring new areas for investment. Crown Prince Mohammed's visit comes at the end of a three-country tour that also took him to Jordan and Egypt. President Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in late April, as part of efforts to normalize relations between Ankara and Riyadh. Relations had been strained for years over the blockade of Qatar and the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul back in 2018. So can Türkiye and Saudi Arabia put years of animosity behind them and forge a new partnership?

Guests:

Ahmet Uysal

Director of Middle Eastern Studies at ORSAM

Giorgio Cafiero

CEO of Gulf State Analytics