Mohamed Bin Zayed and Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in Istanbul on Saturday. WAM

Sheikh Mohamed was welcomed upon his arrival by Erdogan. The two leaders reviewed the growing bilateral ties between the UAE and Turkey and explored opportunities for further collaboration.

Hakan Fidan, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs and a number of ministers and senior officials were also present as the UAE president received an honor guard welcome.

Sheikh Mohamed expressed his happiness to be meeting again with President Erdogan, and congratulated him on the success of the recent electoral process and for the trust and confidence placed in him by the Turkish people.

The meeting between Sheikh Mohamed and the Turkish President follows the signing earlier this year of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and Turkey that aims to enhance strategic cooperation and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of the two countries, their people and the region.

The signing of the agreement in March coincided with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, with the longstanding partnership having been strengthened further in recent years through reciprocal state visits by both presidents.

Sheikh Mohamed and President Erdogan applauded the recent progress witnessed in UAE-Turkey relations and discussed the benefits of the CEPA agreement that promises to stimulate trade and increase the flow of investment between both countries.

The two leaders discussed their shared interest in advancing sustainable economic growth and social development, and explored opportunities for further collaboration in focus areas including the economy, advanced technology, renewable energy, transport & logistics, manufacturing, tourism, and culture.

The two sides discussed various regional and international developments and reiterated their belief in the importance of promoting regional stability and cooperation to support sustainable progress for current and future generations.

The Turkish President extended a warm welcome to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and his accompanying delegation, and confirmed his wish to continue strengthening ties for the benefit of both countries and their people, in a manner that enhances peace and stability in the region and the world.

President Erdogan stated that his country attaches special importance to its relations with the UAE, which it considers an important economic partner in supporting development, stability and peace.

The UAE and Turkey have forged a robust strategic partnership in the tourism and aviation sectors, amid the growing flight and tourist figures between the two friendly nations.

As part of their bilateral relations and strategic partnership, the UAE’s national carriers have increased their flights to Turkey in recent years, following a rise in air traffic between the two countries. 

Reports by the UAE national carriers affirmed the significant contributions of the aviation sector to strengthening the economic relations between the UAE and Turkey in recent years.

They also stressed that aviation is a crucial lifeline for tourism and business sectors. They highlighted their success in increasing the number of flights to Turkish destinations to meet the growing travel demand.

Additionally, they mentioned the addition of seasonal flights during the summer season.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced plans to operate 10 weekly flights from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul.

Etihad Airways originally launched services to Istanbul in June 2009. Istanbul is one of the most popular destinations for UAE residents seeking a short break. Istanbul’s location makes it a melting pot of cultures which has seen centuries of influence from both the East and West.Flights to Istanbul strengthened the growing trade relationship between the two countries.On 17th January 2021, Etihad Airways resumed passenger flights from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul (AUH-IST). The service operated with an initial twice weekly flight using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring Business and Economy cabins.Etihad said it gradually returned more destinations to its global network after a pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emirates Airlines With 21 weekly flights to Istanbul Airport on Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, as well as two flights in partnership with Flydubai, Emirates Airlines has a strong presence in Turkey.

Emirates introduced the first scheduled commercial Airbus A380 service to Istanbul from 1st October 2021.

Air Arabia From the Emirates of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, Air Arabia operates 50 weekly flights to Turkey, including seasonal flights. Most of these flights, 45 in total, depart from Sharjah International Airport, while the remaining five depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Air Arabia offers ten weekly flights from Sharjah to Istanbul, seven weekly flights from Sharjah to Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, and seasonal flights to Antalya and Trabzon, one and three times per day, respectively.

WAM