Accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking officials, Kuwait’s new Emir, Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Sabah, landed in the capital, Ankara, on Tuesday for a working visit. In a display of hospitality reserved for close allies of Türkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally welcomed the emir as he disembarked the plane at Esenboğa Airport.
The emir’s visit, his first to a non-Arab country since taking office last year, comes on the 60th anniversary of ties between Türkiye and Kuwait. After signing deals, the emir was also scheduled to be bestowed with a Turkish state medal.
Kuwait’s history is intertwined with Türkiye as it was an Ottoman-ruled region before it became a British protectorate in 1899, long before it became a fully independent state in 1961. The same year, it established diplomatic relations with Türkiye. Ties have been warm since then and have flourished in recent years with cooperation agreements.
Turkish-Kuwaiti relations gained momentum in the 1980s after signing agreements on cooperation in industry and investment incentives. In 2013, the Turkish-Kuwaiti Cooperation Committee held its first meeting, and the two sides signed another 62 deals. Trade volume between the two countries reached about $700 million (TL 22,592 million) in 2023. Türkiye hosts more than 400 Kuwaiti companies, while Kuwait hosts some 50 Turkish companies. Turkish companies in Kuwait are concentrated in the construction sector and are behind some 50 projects, including constructing a new international airport. The value of Turkish construction projects in Kuwait reached some $9.2 billion, while Kuwaiti direct investment in Türkiye reached the value of $2 billion.
Kuwait seeks more contributions from Turkish companies as part of its 2035 vision to reduce its dependency on oil revenues.
Türkiye is also a popular destination for Kuwaiti citizens in tourism, real estate investments and health tourism. In proportion to its population, Kuwait has the highest number of citizens visiting Türkiye as tourists. Kuwaiti citizens often make it to the top 10 countries whose citizens purchase properties in Türkiye. In 2023, Türkiye hosted about 400,000 Kuwaiti tourists.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) ahead of the emir’s visit, the Turkish Ambassador in Kuwait, Tuba Nur Sönmez, said their relations may set an example for other countries and contribute to regional and global security and stability.
Sönmez said they were looking forward to improving relations in all fields, particularly in trade volume, adding that they were looking to increase it from the current volume of about $700 million.
She pointed out that tourism was one of the key fields in bilateral relations and noted that about 400,000 tourists from Kuwait visited Türkiye last year alone. She also highlighted how health tourism has gained pace between countries since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ambassador said that they also wanted to boost defense industry cooperation with Kuwait, pointing out the Gulf country's recent acquisition of Bayraktar TB2 drones as “an important step in this field.”
She described Kuwait as “a harbor of peace” in its region and highlighted its political sensitivities. She said it shared the same views with Türkiye on various issues, from human rights to combating Islamophobia and social justice.
Kuwait's Ambassador in Türkiye, Wael Yousef el-Anzi, told AA that the emir's visit would have an "added value" for bilateral relations. The envoy told AA that Kuwait and Türkiye had the potential to expand their relations. El-Anzi highlighted Kuwait's special role in the region, its close ties with Gulf, Arab and Muslim countries and its work for international security and peace. El-Anzi also stressed how Kuwaiti people are close to the Turkish nation, helping them in their difficult days, such as sending aid to the country in the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye's southeast.
