Turkiye’s Erdogan visits Saudi Arabia: What to expect

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting in Saudi Arabia on Friday for what his office has billed as a routine one-day working visit amid regional tensions.

The trip will be Erdogan’s second visit to the kingdom this year and the first since the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran, as the two countries deepen ties.

Erdogan is expected to hold a trilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who arrived in the kingdom on Thursday for a three-day visit alongside Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Turkish presidential communications director Burhanettin Duran said the trip would focus on “bilateral relations and regional developments” without detailing a formal agenda.

“During the visit, it is envisaged that President Erdogan will meet with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, as well as with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan,” Duran said.

Regional media reported that talks will centre on maritime security, the fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran and defence cooperation, but Ankara has been notably tight-lipped about specifics.

The visit comes as multiple news outlets report that the three countries may sign a formal alliance.

A source close to the Saudi military told the AFP news agency that the three leaders are set to sign a joint defence agreement in Jeddah on Friday, while a Turkish intelligence source said the pact’s foundational terms had already been agreed to among the three sides.