Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the restoration of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Egypt depends on the release of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and all other anti-coup figures from prison.
Diplomatic ties between Turkey and Egypt were severed after Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the head of the Egyptian army, led a military intervention ousting Morsi in 2013. Since then Turkey has refused to engage with Sisi, who was elected president a year later.
Speaking to the Dubai-based Rotana TV, Erdoğan said: “In the event of the release of these figures, the normalization process could begin.” The president also said there are strong historical bonds between Turkey and Egypt and that developing commercial relations with the country would be very beneficial.