Egyptian, Turkish leaders discuss ties, regional issues with focus on Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held talks on Wednesday in Cairo, aiming to strengthen ties and coordinate on key regional issues, particularly on Gaza.



Following their meeting, the two leaders co-chaired the second meeting of the Egypt-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, witnessing the signing of several cooperation agreements in defense, investment, trade, energy, and tourism, according to the Egyptian presidency.



The leaders set a goal to increase bilateral trade from nearly 9 billion U.S. dollars to 15 billion dollars by 2028.



On the Gaza Strip, Egypt and Turkiye reaffirmed their support for the ceasefire plan, stressing the urgent need for a full Israeli withdrawal, sustained humanitarian access, the reopening of the Rafah crossing in both directions, and a comprehensive reconstruction process.