Egypt’s Sisi, Türkiye’s Erdogan Seal Improvement in Bilateral Ties with Handshake

Sisi and Erdogan meet in Qatar. (Turkish presidency)
Sisi and Erdogan meet in Qatar. (Turkish presidency)
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Egypt’s Sisi, Türkiye’s Erdogan Seal Improvement in Bilateral Ties with Handshake

Sisi and Erdogan meet in Qatar. (Turkish presidency)
Sisi and Erdogan meet in Qatar. (Turkish presidency)

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan shook hands in Qatar and described it as a new start in bilateral relations, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement on Monday, after years of tension.

The two leaders were in Qatar for the start of the World Cup football tournament on Sunday.

Türkiye’s state-owned Anadolu Agency said Erdogan briefly met, shook hands and talked to Sisi and other leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan.

Ankara's ties with Cairo have been strained since the 2013 ouster of president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was strongly supported by Erdogan.

The two countries started consultations between senior foreign ministry officials last year amid a push by Türkiye to ease tensions with countries in the region.

Egyptian officials had expressed caution over any rapprochement, although Erdogan said in July there was no reason high-level talks should not take place.



Egypt Stresses Importance of Resuming Iran Nuclear Talks

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi in Cairo, Egypt, June 2, 2025. (EPA)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi in Cairo, Egypt, June 2, 2025. (EPA)
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Egypt Stresses Importance of Resuming Iran Nuclear Talks

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi in Cairo, Egypt, June 2, 2025. (EPA)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi in Cairo, Egypt, June 2, 2025. (EPA)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a series of high-level talks with key international stakeholders on Wednesday as Egypt continues to intensify diplomatic efforts toward regional de-escalation.

Cairo also stressed the need to establish a comprehensive ceasefire between Iran and Israel and resuming negotiations concerning the Iranian nuclear program.

On Wednesday, Abdelatty spoke separately with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, US Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi.

During the discussions, Abdelatty stressed the importance of pursuing peaceful solutions and resuming negotiations concerning the Iranian nuclear program, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

He reaffirmed Egypt’s steadfast position that military options are not viable, neither for this matter nor for other crises undermining regional stability.

The talks also included an exchange of views on mechanisms to de-escalate tensions and establish a comprehensive ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
They stressed the need to prevent the resumption of hostilities and reinforce a political, peaceful solution to the conflict.

Late last month, in a call with Grossi, Egypt’s Foreign Minister urged the need to prioritize diplomatic solutions for the Iranian nuclear program to achieve calm, reduce tensions and bring about regional security and stability.

In return, the IAEA chief noted President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s firm support for reaching a peaceful settlement of the Iranian nuclear program, backing the non-proliferation system, and establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.