President Erdogan's Gulf tour grabs media attention

By Ibrahim Al-Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's three-nation Gulf tour has grabbed headlines.

The tour started with Saudi Arabia followed by a visit to Qatar and then the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

During the tour, agreements were signed between Türkiye and the three Gulf nations.

This significant momentum of the Gulf tour has resonated strongly in the media of those countries manifested in praises and highlighting the importance of bilateral cooperation with Türkiye.

- UAE

The most recent of these interactions was from Abu Dhabi.

The Emirati official News Agency, WAM, said on Thursday: "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the country topped and captured the interests of local newspapers today, unanimously stressing the importance of Emirati-Turkish relations."

Emirati newspaper Al-Ittihad said the summit held by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with Erdogan, the fifth in two years, confirms the determination and will of the two friendly countries to enhance aspects of comprehensive economic partnership.

Emirati newspaper Al-Khaleej praised Erdogan’s visit in its editorial titled "Diplomacy of Partnership and Trust."

Another daily, Al-Watan, confirmed that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed's talks with Erdogan "constitute an advanced station on the level of strengthening ties, cooperation, and joint keenness to permanently improve them in various fields for the good of the two countries and work for peace and the benefit of the peoples of the region."

On Wednesday, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates signed agreements covering 13 fields, with a total value of $50.7 billion.

- Qatar

Qatar also witnessed great media momentum accompanying Erdogan’s visit to Doha.

Qatar News Agency (QNA) confirmed on Tuesday that Qatar and Türkiye "enjoy strong fraternal relations and a well-established strategic partnership, as their relations have witnessed advanced development over the past few years in various fields, especially political, military, and economic."

It pointed out that "the partnership between Qatar and Türkiye is one of the most successful partnerships in the world at the present time, and it has reached the level of strategic partnership with the strong political will of the Emir of Qatar and the Turkish president."

Erdogan’s visit and its results occupied distinct spaces in the Qatari press coverage, especially in Al-Sharq and Al-Raya newspapers.

- Saudi Arabia

On Monday, Saudi media hailed President Erdogan’s visit, with affirmations of the importance of "historical brotherly" relations with Türkiye, and the importance of cooperation between them given their status in the world.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said: "The Kingdom and the Republic of Türkiye have close historical, fraternal relations dating back 1929, following the signing of the friendship and cooperation agreement between the two countries."

"Given the status enjoyed by the two brotherly countries, relations witnessed development and growth, and more cooperation and mutual understanding on issues of concern to the interests of the two countries and the Islamic nation," SPA said.

The agency emphasized that "the mutual visits between the two leaderships in the Kingdom and Türkiye have recorded clear evidence of the strength of relations."

Other newspapers namely, Riyadh, Okaz, and Al-Madinah, as well as the Sabq said Saudi Arabia and Türkiye enjoy regional and international weight, affirming that the two countries are pillars of stability and security in the Middle East region.

They noted that Türkiye and Saudi Arabia contribute in balanced and effective roles in maintaining international peace and security, and the two countries are members of the G20, which includes the largest economies in the world.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left the UAE heading to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to participate in the opening ceremony of the new building of Ercan International Airport.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat​​​​​​​