Erdoğan to visit Saudi Arabia to boost ties
Turkish and Saudi Arabian flags waving in the sky in this undated file photo. (Shutterstock File Photo)


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to visit Riyadh on Thursday as part of efforts to revive Turkey-Saudi Arabia ties, sources said Tuesday.

Ankara and Riyadh have in recent months attempted to repair some diplomatic damage after a decade of tension, especially after the 2018 murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul Consulate.

Following Turkish demands for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and other officials to be prosecuted, Riyadh imposed an unofficial boycott on goods from Turkey.

The kingdom never publicly acknowledged it was boycotting goods from Turkey, but last year Saudi business people and retailers endorsed the move amid political tensions between the two regional rivals.

To circumvent the unofficial blockade, some Turkish exporters have been rerouting food, clothing and other goods.