Turkey’s Erdogan, Egypt’s el-Sisi meeting updates: Erdogan arrives in Cairo

Three people were killed in Israeli air raids on a home in the southern Lebanese town of Qantara at dawn, according to the official Lebanese News Agency.

Areas around the town of Ayta ash Shab were also hit by Israeli army artillery, but no casualties were reported, it said.

Israeli forces are cutting off roads linking the two southern towns in attacks, the news report added.

Reconnaissance aircraft flew over villages around the Litani river overnight. Analysts say Israel is trying to push Hezbollah forces further north to the boundary of the river.

On Wednesday, 10 civilians and three Hezbollah fighters were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, the deadliest day for Lebanese civilians in four months of hostilities across the Lebanon-Israel border.

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You can read more on the significance of today’s meeting between el-Sisi and Erdogan here.

Our live coverage is coming to an end. Here is a quick recap of today’s news:

• Egypt President el-Sisi met his Turkish counterpart, Erdogan, after years of fractured ties between the two countries.
• El-Sisi greeted Erdogan as he emerged from his plane in Cairo with his wife.
• During a joint news conference, Erdogan said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza topped the agenda of talks with el-Sisi.
• El-Sisi accepted an invitation to Turkey from Erdogan, who said the visit would be a new turning point in bilateral relations.
• El-Sisi said Egypt sought to raise trade volume with Turkey to $15bn over the next few years.

Compared with what happened within the last 10 years, it’s a 360-degree turn.

But of course, there is a reason for this, for both countries and for both leaders, not only for their own national benefits but also for the stability of the region.

It was only Erdogan who didn’t want to recognise the government of el-Sisi, and he has been calling him names – President el-Sisi calling President Erdogan names as well.

But since 2019, we have seen that Turkey is trying not to get involved in the domestic politics of its neighbouring region. And let’s not forget that Egypt is an important trading partner of Turkey.

Forced depopulation of Gaza is “unacceptable”, Erdogan says, thanking Egypt for its stance against Israeli aggression.

During the joint news conference, Turkey’s Erdogan says the humanitarian crisis in Gaza topped the agenda of talks with el-Sisi.

Erdogan posted to X a video of him and el-Sisi at the welcoming ceremony in Cairo.

Mısır'da Resmî Karşılama Töreni https://t.co/llOO7Y8jRE

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 14, 2024

(Translation: Official Welcome Ceremony in Egypt)

El-Sisi greeted Erdogan as he emerged from his plane in Cairo with his wife, live television footage showed.

The two leaders were then seen conversing as they walked along a red carpet amid a fanfare.

According to a draft programme, el-Sisi and Erdogan were to hold bilateral talks before a meeting between the two delegations, with a formal dinner planned.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in the Egyptian capital on his first visit in more than a decade.

Erdogan was welcomed at Cairo airport by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the two men exchanged a handshake on the tarmac, live footage of his arrival showed.

Below is the full statement from the office of el-Sisi on today’s upcoming meeting with Erdogan:

“Today, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meets with the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in Cairo.

“The two Presidents are expected to hold an expanded session of talks on ways to strengthen joint efforts towards fostering closer bilateral relations.

“President el-Sisi and Turkish President Erdoğan are also set to discuss a multitude of regional dossiers and challenges, primarily reaching a ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid to the people in the Strip.”

Regional necessities pushed the two countries to restore their ties after 10 years. It’s not only Egypt but also Turkey that needed those ties to be tight again.

After the Gulf countries supported Egypt after the military coup in 2013, Turkey was isolated in a way. Also, Turkey’s relations with Israel were also strained. There was tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially after an agreement between Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Israel. That’s why Turkey wanted to be back in the game as it has the longest shore in the Eastern Mediterranean.

From Cairo’s perspective, especially the Abraham Accords (between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel), this also made Cairo feel a little bit lonely and concerned that its political weight could be downsized.

Whether the trust will be built again is a question mark.

Former Turkish diplomat Uluc Ozulker told Al Jazeera that the meeting between Erdogan and el-Sisi marks an effort towards the improvement of ties.

“You can’t ignore Egypt’s importance in the Arab world,” he said, adding that Turkey has adjusted its foreign policy.

“Turkish foreign policy has become more realistic in the past three years. Balance and support are highlighted,” Ozulker said. “Our current situation requires us to acknowledge and live with the reality.”

In March, Turkey and Egypt took steps to restore full diplomatic relations that could have implications for the entire region.

Watch Inside Story here to learn more about the challenges the two countries face.

After years of diplomatic hostility, relations between the two countries have warmed recently.

However, while broadly welcoming of any detente, analysts were cautious as to how much difference this might make to the continuing war in Gaza.

Read our story in full here.

A Turkish military aircraft carrying medical and humanitarian aid for Gaza, along with 12 doctors and nurses, has arrived in Egypt’s El Arish, according to the Anadolu news agency.

The A400M, loaded with about 1.5 tonnes of medical supplies, departed for Egypt at about 7am (04:00 GMT) and reached about two hours later.