Ahmad 
Cairo is preparing to receive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on an official visit in mid-February, marking the end of a ten-year period of tension with Egypt in a positive sign of the return of bilateral relations to their previous state.
In statements to Al-Sharq, officials and experts stressed that this visit, which is the first in the past 11 years, will form “new foundations” for cooperation between the two countries in light of the current regional challenges.
In this context, the talks are expected to shed light on the Israeli war on Gaza, economic relations, the gas file in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Libyan crisis.
On the other hand, an informed Turkish source confirmed that there are ongoing talks with the Egyptian side to organize Erdogan’s visit to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, with the aim of confirming Turkey’s support for the Palestinians during the current events.
In a related context, Mehmet Yildirim, an adviser in the Turkish government, explained that there is an understanding between the Egyptian and Turkish parties on the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, pointing to the continuation of contacts between the two countries since the beginning of the Israeli attack on the Strip.
On the other hand, the Egyptian expert in Turkish affairs, Bashir Abdel Fattah, stressed the importance of the timing of the visit in light of the current regional developments, pointing to the possibility of Egyptian-Turkish coordination to deal with the current challenges.
On the other hand, Turkish journalist Mehmet Yilmaz said Erdogan’s visit reflects a significant improvement in Egyptian-Turkish relations, although there are “some natural differences” between the two countries.