RIYADH: Relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have a “historical depth,” Turkiye’s ambassador to the Kingdom said at an event at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh held to mark the 101st anniversary of the founding of the republic.
Envoy Emrullah Isler said: “Turkiye was one of the first countries to recognize the Kingdom of Hejaz, establishing its diplomatic mission by 1926. These ties were later crowned by the Treaty of Friendship in 1929.”
When Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkiye’s founding father, was among the first to congratulate King Abdulaziz.
“The reception of Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz by Ataturk that year and Prince Faisal’s later visit to Ankara as king in 1966 were signs of strong relations that would continue for many years,” Isler said.
Those first and future visits — King Abdullah visited Turkiye in 2006 and King Salman visited in both 2015 and 2016 — were an “expression of this friendship,” the ambassador said.
Also, the recent visits to Saudi Arabia by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Turkiye in 2022, “confirm strong political will at the highest level to develop our relations and give tangible momentum to the pace of our joint cooperation,” he said.
“The fact that Saudi Arabia and Turkiye share similar perspectives on many regional and international issues undoubtedly allows us to make significant contributions to ensuring regional peace, security and stability,” Isler said.
“In this context, I would like to highlight that the role of both countries in achieving regional peace and prosperity based on common sensitivities is becoming more and more important day by day.”
On future cooperation between the two countries, the ambassador said he was confident it would expand in the defense and construction sectors.
He also said Turkiye was a prime tourist destination for visitors from the Kingdom.
“We are pleased to host our dear Saudi sisters and brothers, along with tourists from around the world,” he said.
“Moreover, the progress of the Turkish economy, which continues to rise within the global economic hierarchy, will naturally reflect in the relations between our two countries, both of which are G20 members.”
