Egypt and Turkey appointed ambassadors, ending a decade of diplomatic strains between the two regional heavyweights, both countries announced on Tuesday.
The decision “aims to restore normal relations for the benefit of the two brotherly peoples,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.
In a joint statement, the two countries said the move “reflects the mutual will to develop bilateral relations in line with the interests of the Turkish and Egyptian peoples.”
The two countries announced in May that they would upgrade ties and exchange ambassadors when Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi called his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to congratulate him on his re-election.
Egypt nominated diplomat Amr al-Hamamy as its ambassador in Ankara, and Turkey nominated Salih Mutlu Şen to be its envoy in Cairo, according to the joint statement.
Relations between Egypt and Turkey soured in mid-2013 after the Egyptian army, then led by al-Sissi, toppled Egypt’s then Islamist president Mohammed Morsi.
Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party was a main backer of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood.
In response, Egypt expelled the Turkish ambassador and downgraded ties with Ankara to the level of charge d’affaires.
The two countries also supported opposing sides in conflict-torn Libya. (dpa/NAN)
