Egypt, Turkey Prepare for 2nd Round of Talks on Normalization

Egyptian and Turkish officials at a meeting in Cairo in May. (Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian and Turkish officials at a meeting in Cairo in May. (Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt, Turkey Prepare for 2nd Round of Talks on Normalization

Egyptian and Turkish officials at a meeting in Cairo in May. (Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian and Turkish officials at a meeting in Cairo in May. (Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Four months after the first exploratory talks between Egypt and Turkey on the normalization of relations, the two countries are preparing for the next session, which will be hosted by Ankara as of Sept. 7.

The two sides will be represented by their respective deputy foreign ministers and will look into the means to normalize the “politically severed relations since nearly eight years.”

Both Cairo and Ankara reported that a second round of exploratory talks will be held over two days in the Turkish capital.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that Ambassador Hamdi Loza, Deputy Foreign Minister, will visit Ankara “in response to the invitation” from Turkey, to hold the second round of “exploratory talks”, which are expected to “deal with bilateral relations between the two sides, as well as a number of regional issues.”

The upcoming round follows the first series of talks, which were held in Cairo on May 5-6, when the two sides announced, in a joint statement, that the discussions were frank and touched on bilateral issues, as well as the situation in Libya, Syria and Iraq, and the need to achieve peace and security in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Relations between Ankara and Cairo deteriorated in 2013 over the Turkish position on the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt, and its support for the group that the Egyptian authorities have designated a terrorist organization.

While the two countries withdrew their ambassadors simultaneously, their embassies remained open and continued to work at the Chargé d’Affaires level over the past eight years.

However, in several statements last year, Ankara has expressed interests to revive the relations with Cairo and forced a number of Brotherhood-speaking channels, which broadcast from Istanbul, to stop their incitement and attack on the government in Egypt. Turkish authorities also banned Brotherhood leaders from delivering statements or carrying out activities that obstruct the rapprochement with Cairo.

Relations between Egypt and Turkey are intertwined, including the “Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum” organization, and the demarcation of the maritime borders with Cyprus, Greece and Libya (within the framework of an agreement between Tripoli and Ankara that Cairo does not recognize).

Cairo is the permanent headquarters of the “Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum,” which includes Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel, while Turkey is involved in disputes with Greece and Cyprus over energy reserves in the Mediterranean.



Damascus Says Israel Arrested Civilians During Beit Jin Raid

Residents sit outside their house in the Beit Jin village, southern Syria, where Israeli troops made a pre-dawn raid, arresting several alleged members of Hamas, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
Residents sit outside their house in the Beit Jin village, southern Syria, where Israeli troops made a pre-dawn raid, arresting several alleged members of Hamas, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
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Damascus Says Israel Arrested Civilians During Beit Jin Raid

Residents sit outside their house in the Beit Jin village, southern Syria, where Israeli troops made a pre-dawn raid, arresting several alleged members of Hamas, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)
Residents sit outside their house in the Beit Jin village, southern Syria, where Israeli troops made a pre-dawn raid, arresting several alleged members of Hamas, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP)

A source at the Syrian Interior Ministry denied Israeli claims that its forces had arrested Palestinian Hamas members during a raid on the southern village of Beit Jin in the early hours of Thursday.

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the detainees were civilians and not affiliated with any party.

Saleh Daher, a resident of Beit Jin, told Asharq Al-Awsat the Israeli soldiers entered the village at 2:40 am on Thursday.

“We were awakened by the sound of gunfire,” he revealed. A unit of dozens of soldiers were raiding the village, while ten tanks were stationed at its entrance.

The forces surrounded the houses of the people they wanted to arrest, calling out their names on loudspeakers. They detained seven people, continued Daher.

One person, who is known in the village for having a mental disability, attempted to stop the soldiers, who shot and killed him, he said.

The soldiers left at 4:15 am after detaining the people they were after.

Daher said they were all Syrian natives of the village and used to be members of armed opposition groups that rose up against the Bashar al-Assad's ousted regime.

Sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat the names of the detainees: Amer al-Badawi, Mamoun al-Saadi, Ahmed al-Safadi, Mohammed al-Safadi, Hassan al-Safadi, Mohammed Badi Hamadeh and Ali Qassem Hamadeh.

Daher said he and his family had returned to Beit Jin in 2018 and that they never noticed any behavior by the detainees that they were working against Israel.

Israel had previously assassinated three residents of the village. They too were members of armed factions.

Moreover, Daher said he hasn’t noticed any activity by residents that indicate that they are members of or associated with Palestinian factions.

The Israeli army said it detained Hamas members during the Beit Jin raid and that they were planning attacks against it.

They have been taken to Israel for investigation. The army also said it discovered weapons in the area.

Syrian media confirmed the arrest of seven people and death of one person during the raid.

Since the fall of Assad’s government in early December, Israeli forces have moved into several areas in southern Syria and conducted hundreds of airstrikes throughout the country, destroying much of the assets of the Syrian army.

Tensions ticked up in early June after projectiles were fired from Syria towards Israel. Israel retaliated with its first strikes in nearly a month.

On June 8, Israel carried out a strike on the outskirts of Beit Jin on what it described as a Hamas member.

A resident of the village denied the claim, saying Israel targeted a youth called Anas Abboud and that he was a former member of a Syrian opposition armed group.