Turkish President Receives Abu Dhabi Crown Prince in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
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Turkish President Receives Abu Dhabi Crown Prince in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan review a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, November 24, 2021. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)

Turkey and the United Arab Emirates signed accords on energy and technology investments on Wednesday after talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Ankara.

Sheik Mohammed's meeting with Erdogan, the first such visit in years, comes as the two countries work to mend frayed ties after a period of bitter regional rivalry, and amid a currency crisis in Turkey.

The memorandums of understanding were signed between the Abu Dhabi Development Holding (ADQ), Turkish Wealth Fund (TVF), and the Turkish Presidency Investment Office, as well as with some Turkish companies.

Following the talks, Sheikh Mohammed said he had "fruitful" talks with Erdogan on strengthening ties between Turkey and the UAE.

"I look forward to exploring new cooperation opportunities to benefit our two nations and advance our mutual development goals," he said on Twitter.

ADQ signed an accord on investing in Turkish technology firms and on establishing a technology-oriented fund, while Abu Dhabi Ports also signed an agreement on port and logistics cooperation.

A deal between ADQ and Turkish company Kalyon on energy and infrastructure, another with CCN Group on health cooperation, and a third with Turkey's Presidency Investment Office on renewable energy were also among the agreements, a Turkish official said.

The UAE announced it was establishing a $10 billion fund to support mainly strategic investments in Turkey, including in the health and energy fields, its state news agency WAM said.

The Turkish and Emirati central banks also signed a cooperation agreement on Wednesday.

Turkey said in September it was in talks with the UAE over investments in energy such as power generation, while the UAE, whose sovereign wealth funds have made significant investments in Turkish online grocer Getir and e-commerce platform Trendyol, has said it seeks deeper trade and economic ties with Ankara.

State broadcaster TRT Haber said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusogu will visit Abu Dhabi in mid-December.



Saudi FM Reiterates Kingdom’s Rejection of Displacement of Palestinians

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Reiterates Kingdom’s Rejection of Displacement of Palestinians

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference on Friday. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah reiterated on Friday the Kingdom’s rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their territories.

During a news conference following the "Antalya Ministerial Meeting on the Two-State Solution and Permanent Peace in the Middle East" in Türkiye, he stressed the importance of an immediate return to the ceasefire in Gaza.

The ceasefire must be sustainable, serve as a path to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza, and be the beginning of a final solution to the Palestinian cause through the establishment of a Palestinian state, he declared.

"The entry of aid to Gaza cannot be linked to a ceasefire, as this violates the foundations of international law, and preventing aid from reaching the Gaza Strip and using it as a tool of war is also a flagrant violation of all norms and the foundations of international law and is rejected by all," Prince Faisal said.

He called on the international community to exert all pressure to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza without interruption and in sufficient quantities.

He expressed the Kingdom's categorical rejection of all forms of displacement of the Palestinian people from their lands, even if it is through voluntary departure, considering that the Palestinians in Gaza are being deprived of most necessities of life.

"If aid is not entering, if the residents of Gaza are deprived of food, drink, and electricity, and if they are threatened every day with military bombardment, then even if one of them is forced to leave, that is not voluntary but a form of coercion. Therefore, it must be clear that any displacement of Palestinians in Gaza under any pretext is categorically rejected," he added.

Prince Faisal stressed that the Arab and Islamic group is committed to a comprehensive peace that guarantees the security of all in the region and guarantees the rights, security, and future of the Palestinian people within the framework of their independent state.