UAE President, Turkish Foreign Minister discuss Gaza, Cepa and bilateral ties

HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE, received HE Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister of Turkey, on Thursday. They discussed enhancing cooperation in various fields as part of strategic ties that unite both countries.

During the meeting, Fidan conveyed to Sheikh Mohamed the condolences of HE Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey, and his sincere sympathy over the recent passing of Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan bin Zayed, as per official media reports.

His Highness and the Turkish Foreign Minister also discussed developments in the Middle East and regional and international efforts to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, besides the need to address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

Supporting all efforts aimed at achieving stability

The duo emphasised the need for the international community to assume its responsibility to ensure a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region. Sheikh Mohamed affirmed the UAE’s support for all efforts aimed at achieving stability at global levels.

The brutal Israel-Hamas fighting erupted on October 7 as Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israeli cities, killing some 1,200 people and taking several others hostages. The Israeli military’s have claimed close to 35,000 lives in the Gaza Strip.

Besides the raging conflict in the Middle East, Sheikh Mohamed and Fidan also explored methods to further improve bilateral relations. The UAE and Turkey signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) in March 2023 to enhance trade links.

UAE and Turkey share robust economic ties

The same day, Fidan and UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed held key discussions in the UAE capital during working dinner. They stressed the importance of securing a ceasefire in the Gaza crisis and limiting the suffering of Palestinians.

The UAE and Turkey share robust economic ties – a major factor that also remained high on the agenda. HH Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the steady increase in the volume of non-oil trade between the nations, a number increasing by 103.7% last year.

Turkey’s share in the Emirates’ total foreign trade increased to 5.1% in 2023, making it the fastest growing among the Gulf state’s top ten trading partners. This has been possible due to the Cepa inked on March 3, which entered into force on September 1 of the same year.