The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye have close historical brotherly relations dating back to 1929, following the signing of the Agreement of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries.
The relations between the two brotherly countries have witnessed development and growth, and more cooperation and mutual understanding on issues of concern to the interests of the two countries and the Islamic nation.
The mutual visits between the two leaderships in Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, the first of which was made by King Faisal to Turkiye in 1932 while returning from a trip to Europe, and the second after he assumed the throne in 1966, have amply attested to the strength of their ties and relations.
The visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to Turkiye in August 2006 resulted in the signing of six bilateral agreements between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkiye, a memorandum of understanding on bilateral political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries, a cooperation protocol between the National Center for Documents and Archives of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the General Directorate of State Archives at the Turkish Prime Minister’s Office, as well as the signing of an agreement on the encouragement and mutual protection of investments, and a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of finance of the two countries on the agreement to avoid double taxation and a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the health fields between the ministries of health in the two countries. An agreement was also signed to regulate the transport of passengers and goods on land roads between the two countries’ governments.
The relations significantly developed during 2015 and 2016 and witnessed a remarkable leap, as five Saudi-Turkish summits were held that brought together the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with President Erdogan.
The official visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to Turkiye in April 2016 and his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan culminated in the announcement of the establishment of the Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council to enhance joint cooperation in the fields of politics, diplomacy, economy trade, banking, finance, maritime navigation, industry, energy, agriculture, culture, education, technology, military, military industries, security, and media. The Council held its first meeting in February 2017 in Ankara.
During this visit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan awarded the Order of the Republic to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the highest honour in Turkiye. The two leaders also held a session of official talks, during which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed his confidence that the talks would lead to fruitful results that consolidate the strategic relations of the two countries, which opens wide prospects for strengthening political, economic, trade, military and security ties, for the benefit of them. At the same time, the Turkish President pointed out the importance of Continuing meetings between officials of the two countries in various political, commercial, economic, military, cultural and social fields to achieve common interests and strengthen relations between the two brotherly countries.
In response to an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 28, 2022.
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, also held a meeting with President Erdogan during his visit. The purpose of the meeting was to review Saudi-Turkish relations and explore opportunities for their further development across various fields. They also discussed current regional and international developments and the ongoing efforts to address them.
On June 22, 2022, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, visited Turkiye in response to President Erdogan’s kind invitation.
The visit was characterized by a warm and brotherly atmosphere, reflecting the two countries’ deep and distinguished relations. An official session of talks was held between them, focusing on enhancing cooperation in several areas, including politics, economy, military, security, and culture. The two leaders exchanged views on significant regional and international matters that are of mutual interest.
The two sides have affirmed their support for the Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing the Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats and the Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) initiative, which were launched during the G20 Saudi Presidency in 2020.
The Republic of Türkiye has also welcomed the Kingdom’s launch of the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative.
Türkiye voiced support for the Kingdom’s efforts in the climate change field by implementing the circular carbon economy approach, which was launched by the Kingdom and endorsed by the leaders of the G20 countries.
The two sides reaffirmed the importance of adhering to the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, highlighting the need to develop and implement the climate agreement by focusing on the emissions without sources.
On November 15, 2022, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, met with His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Türkiye.
During the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, the Republic of Indonesia, they reviewed Saudi-Turkish relations and the prospects for cooperation in various fields.
They also discussed regional and international developments and the efforts exerted in this regard.
The two countries have joint efforts in combating terrorism. In February 2016, Saudi Arabian fighter jets landed at the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkiye, as part of the Kingdom’s participation in the international coalition to fight ISIS.
Turkiye is also a member of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), which the Kingdom announced its formation in December 2015, consisting of 41 countries.
As part of the Republic of Turkiye’s keenness to strengthen relations with the Kingdom, it supported Riyadh’s bid to host Expo 2030.
Being members of the G20 Group, the two countries enjoy significant economic advantages. Moreover, the Kingdom Vision 2030 provides promising cooperation opportunities in various areas such as investment, trade, tourism, entertainment, development, industry, mining, construction projects, transportation, and infrastructure.
Since signing the Trade, Economic, and Technical Cooperation Agreement in 1973, economic cooperation between the Kingdom and Turkiye has witnessed continuous growth and development.
The “Saudi-Turkish Joint Committee” was formed based on the agreement, and there is also a Saudi-Turkish Business Council, which has contributed to the development of economic relations between the two countries since its establishment in October 2003.
The economic ties between the two countries have witnessed rapid and noticeable development since then, and the Kingdom has become an important economic partner for Turkiye, being among its top 8 trading partners worldwide.
The two governments have announced their firm determination to strengthen economic relations and have concluded a series of bilateral agreements that form the appropriate legal framework for these relations.
The development of economic relations is reflected in the exchange of visits and exhibitions, the establishment of joint ventures, and the significant increase in trade between the two brotherly countries.
Over the past three years in addition to May this year, the Kingdom’s exports to the Republic of Turkiye amounted to SAR 52.280 billion. Plastics, metal products, organic chemical products, steel, precious metals and stones were on top of these exports in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom’s imports from Turkiye totalled SAR 16.787 billion over the past three years besides May with carpets, furniture, prefabricated buildings, machinery, historical and artistic artifacts and stone and cement products being on top of these imports in 2023.
As part of the Saudi-Turkish economic cooperation, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) played a pioneering role in securing concessional financing for a number of development projects and programs in Turkiye over the past three decades.
The two countries seek cooperation with regard to encouraging direct investment, signing an agreement already in this field.
They also established the Turkish-Saudi Business and Investment Forum last December with a focus on highlighting promising cooperation opportunities for Turkish companies in the mega projects that the Kingdom is set to implement within the scope of the Kingdom Vision 2030.
Moreover, the encouraging business environment in the Kingdom has succeeded to attract 390 Turkish companies to invest in the Saudi market with a total capital of SAR 985.6 million.
Turkish companies are active in several sectors in the Kingdom, especially construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and restaurants.
Also, the companies with Saudi capital investing in several sectors in Turkiye have amounted to 1,140 diverse companies with the volume of Saudi investments in Turkiye totaling USD18 billion.
The Saudi and Turkish sides are constantly keen on developing and diversifying intra-trade, facilitating trade exchange between the two sides, overcoming any difficulties in this regard, and intensifying communication between the public and private sectors to discuss investment opportunities and transform them into tangible partnerships in various fields.
On March 19, 2023, the “Saudi-Turkish Business Forum” was held in Riyadh, with the participation of more than 450 Saudi and Turkish companies and many government agencies in the two countries. The forum witnessed the signing of three trade cooperation agreements between representatives of the Saudi and Turkish business sectors in localizing the industry of welding equipment and supplies, and the manufacture of high-tech trucks and tanks to meet the needs of the transport and contracting market, in addition to the establishment of a joint Saudi-Turkish project in automation and engineering.
The statistics of the Saudi aid platform show that between 1979 – 2023, the Kingdom has provided Turkiye with financial aid worth USD 490,493,486, through 44 projects that included education, energy, transportation and storage, health, water and environmental sanitation, shelter, and non-food items, and in various sectors. The largest support was USD205,550,000 in 2001. The Kingdom also supported the Turkish research centers and provided oil assistance.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia topped the list of donors in response to the earthquake in Turkiye this year, as it operated, under the directives of the Saudi leadership an airlift for medical and relief aid, organized a donation campaign, and signed project contracts for the benefit of the earthquake-affected victims worth more than USD 48.8 million.
Culturally, the common desire of the two countries for cultural cooperation and exchange of visits was reflected through the cultural cooperation agreement signed in 1976, as well as the launching of the Saudi cultural days in Ankara, which demonstrated the Kingdom’s cultural, literary, and artistic reality through exhibitions, lectures, evenings, concerts and performances.
The Saudi cultural days in Turkiye left an impression of Saudi culture and arts, and a positive picture of the common features of two Muslim peoples who share several aspects, including religion, history, and common destiny. This represented the starting point to promote, revitalize and deepen the cultural exchange between the two countries.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
