Riyadh: Erdogan arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, where he met King Salman for talks focused on the Syrian civil war. Turkey and Saudi Arabia are strong backers of the rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, who in turn is supported by Russia and Iran.
Erdogan said his government and Saudi Arabia are working “in solidarity and consultation” to find a political solution for Syria, as both countries push for an agreement that would remove Al Assad from power.
This is Erdogan’s third visit to Saudi Arabia this year. He flew to Riyadh in January to attend the late King Abdullah’s funeral and again in March for bilateral talks with King Salman. The two leaders also met at the G-20 summit held in Turkey last month.
Ties between the two countries have improved under the new monarch Salman, who has worked closely with Muslim countries to stymie the reach of Saudi Arabia’s top regional foe, Iran.
Turkey is a member of the 34-nation Islamic military alliance that Saudi Arabia announced this month. The two sides are also expected to discuss energy cooperation as Ankara works to diversify its energy supplies following a rift with Moscow over the downing of a Russian plane.
