The Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan, visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the aim of consolidating bilateral relations and strengthening coordination at the regional level in light of the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and Syria. As reported by the Turkish press, these were the issues on the agenda of the meeting between Fidan and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan. The parties discussed ways to further develop ties in various sectors, which contributed to a trade volume of approximately $8 billion last year, and exchanged views on the situation in the region and at the international level. Fidan had already travelled to Saudi Arabia on January 12 for a ministerial meeting on Syria. Representatives of Bahrain, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the European Union, the Arab League and the United Nations were also present. Saudi Minister Bin Farhan had also visited Türkiye last July.
Diplomatic sources cited by Turkish Anadolu Agency had already anticipated that prior to his visit to Riyadh today, Fidan would highlight the crucial role of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council, which was established in 2016 and hosted its first meeting in Ankara in February 2017, during his engagements in the Kingdom. The aim of the Council is to examine in detail bilateral cooperation in all its dimensions. The next meeting will be held in Riyadh under the chairmanship of the foreign ministers of the two countries, but the date is yet to be determined. According to the same sources, Fidan also went to Riyadh to reiterate the importance that Ankara attaches to cooperation with Saudi Arabia in its efforts to lift international sanctions against Syria, and to increase pressure on Israel by the international community to make the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip permanent, as well as to achieve the two-state solution. In this regard, Ankara and Riyadh have held close dialogue in recent months, including within the framework of the Contact Group on Gaza of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League.
In an interview with Saudi broadcaster Asharq this week, Fidan said that Türkiye and Saudi Arabia “have worked well so far and will continue to work together.” He also praised the “extraordinary coordination” between the two countries in the context of the Gaza crisis and Syria. Regarding the new Syrian administration, Fidan stated that Ankara and Riyadh "have no differences in terms of what is expected" and "there are no disagreements or differences of opinion." Reiterating Türkiye’s position that there should be no room for terrorism in Syria - referring to the DAESH and Kurdish militant groups - Fidan expressed hope that the armed factions could unite into one legitimate army, under the auspices of the state. Stressing that the post-Assad Syrian leadership is seeking coordination not only with Ankara, but with all countries, Fidan said, "We are focusing on what can be done together with the Arab League, the Gulf countries, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the EU, the United States and other regional and international organisations for the reconstruction of Syria.” Fidan said, "Türkiye’s efforts, as well as those made together with our international partners, will bear fruit. We hope that it will. In this context, it is essential to continue developing relations between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, which are two brotherly countries."
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed that they want to further strengthen relations as a whole in a multidimensional aspect. According to Anadolu Agency, Turkish companies currently have over 400 active projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In addition, the development of Türkiye’s defence industry is attracting Riyadh’s attention. According to a report by the Daily Sabah, Türkiye is looking to finalise a $6 billion defence deal with Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest arms importers, including naval vessels, war machines, tanks and missile systems. The potential deal could also involve Riyadh in Türkiye’s fighter jet development programme.
According to Turkish media reports, the agreement could be announced next March, when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye travels to Saudi Arabia. In July 2023, during a visit by Erdoğan to Riyadh, five agreements were signed on cooperation in various fields. The most significant issue is the export of Turkish-made Baykar drones to the Kingdom. Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar described the deal as "the largest defence export contract in the history of the Republic of Türkiye." According to the report by Daily Sabah, the same deal could soon be extended to include the Altay tank and missile defence systems. According to official data, Türkiye’s defence exports increased by nearly 30 per cent year-on-year, reaching a new record of $7,2 billion in 2024.