Turkey and Saudi Arabia are set to sign an agreement abolishing visa requirements for their citizens during talks between their foreign ministers in Ankara on Wednesday, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Tuesday.
Relations between the two countries were severely strained following the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, after Turkey accused senior Saudi officials of orchestrating the murder. However, both sides have moved to rebuild ties since 2020.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will co-chair a meeting of the Turkey–Saudi Coordination Council, where the visa-free travel accord for holders of ordinary and diplomatic passports is expected to be signed.
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The source added that Fidan is expected to emphasize Turkey’s call for “regional ownership” in resolving Middle East crises and reaffirm Ankara’s commitment to supporting efforts to end the conflict in Iran. He will also stress that developments around the Strait of Hormuz should not escalate into “new tensions and provocations.”
NAN
