Erdoğan met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Thursday as the Turkish president is visiting the kingdom to restore the ties between Ankara and Riyadh.
"We paid a visit to Saudi Arabia upon the invitation of Hadimu'l Haremeyn,” or "the Servant of Mecca and Medina,” said Erdogan, referring to Saudi King Salman.
"As two brotherly countries with historical, cultural and human ties, we are striving to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations between us and to start a new era,” said Erdogan on Twitter.
Increased cooperation with Saudi Arabia in health, energy, food security, agricultural technologies, the defense industry and finance is in the common interest, said Erdogan, adding the two countries have serious cooperation potential in renewable and clean energy technologies.
Erdogan also said that Turkey attaches great importance to the security and stability of the Gulf region. "We express on every occasion that we attach as much importance to the stability and security of our brothers in the Gulf region as our own,” he said.
"We underline that we are against all forms of terrorism and that we attach importance to cooperation with the countries in our region against terrorism,” he added.
"I believe we will take our relations to a level beyond what they were previously,” said Erdogan, adding his visit during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan "will open the doors of a new era with our friend and brother Saudi Arabia.”
King Salman had received President Erdoğan Thursday evening with an official ceremony in the city of Jeddah. The two leaders held a closed-door meeting at Al-Salam Royal Palace. Erdoğan also met with MBS.
Erdogan had arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier Thursday for a two-day working visit. His plane landed at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah where he was welcomed by Khalid Al-Faisal, the emir of Mecca region. Turkish Ambassador in Riyadh Fatih Ulusoy and Turkey's permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Mehmet Metin Eker were also present.
The Turkish president was accompanied by first lady Emine Erdogan, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and Treasury and Finance Minister Nurettin Nebati.
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