On Wednesday, the Minister of Foreign affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, delivered a letter from His Majesty King Abdullah II to the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that discusses bilateral ties and the latest developments in the region.
In the letter, His Majesty expressed his keenness to further strengthen and enhance the cooperation between Jordan and Turkey on all levels.
His Majesty also invited Erdogan to visit the Kingdom which was accepted. Erdogan conveyed his regards to His Majesty and emphasized the importance of bolstering the bilateral relations and increasing cooperation.
The meeting addressed a range of regional and international concerns, the most notable of which was the Palestinian cause.
Meeting with Mevlut Cavusoglu
On the sidelines, Safadi held a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to discuss trade, investment, tourist and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Talks focussed on regional and international issues, including the Palestinian cause, as well as other international crises like the war in Ukraine.
A joint press statement was released in which Safadi said Jordan and Ukraine are working together to fulfill joint interests and coordinate on regional challenges. He also described the Jordanian-Turkish ties as “fraternal.”
Safadi noted that the trade volume between both countries increased last year in comparison with 2020, despite the coronavirus crisis and related restrictions.
Regarding tourism, Safadi said the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the tourism sector, adding that as the restrictions are being lifted and eased, tourism is expected to recover.
Palestinian Cause and Refugee Crisis
As for the Palestinian cause, both ministers agreed that a prompt action to reinvigorate the Mideast Peace talks based on the two-state solution is of the utmost importance, in addition to the establishment of a Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Safadi praised Turkey’s support for the two-state solution and the rights of the Palestinian people.
He pointed out that both countries are keen to realize peace and security in the region, pointing out the importance of finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would ensure the country’s territorial integrity.
“The refugees’ issue is a priority for us since we are two of the largest host communities. We coordinate together to ensure the continuation of the international support for refugees in a way that would ensure host communities will not have to carry the burden alone…”
– Minister of Foreign affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi
Cavusoglu said Ankara is keen on coordinating with Jordan, as it appreciates Jordan’s role in the region.
He added that the two-way trade has reached the USD1 billion mark, adding that the trade scale is tipped in Turkey’s favor and said the two countries are working at balancing the trade scale.
In Syria, Turkey and Jordan are working on ensuring the voluntary return of refugees to their country, he added.
Regarding Palestine, Cavusoglu said Jordan and Turkey’s opinions are “identical” on several different issues and that they see eye to eye on the Palestinian cause and the situation in occupied Jerusalem. He also pointed out that Turkey supports the kingdom’s custodianship on the city’s holy sites.
Source: Petra News
