ºÚÁÏÉçÇø

I have had the privilege of living in the Kingdom of ºÚÁÏÉçÇø in three different time periods, each of them during unique political and military challenges in the region. I first came to the Kingdom in 1979 as a student of the Arabic language at King Saud University. Later, in 2002, I returned as an associate professor and, finally, in 2024, as ambassador of my country. Remembering how life was in Riyadh back in the 1980s, the pace of change in the Kingdom in general and in Riyadh in particular has been truly amazing. In the meantime, I am pleased to observe that the generous Saudi hospitality has not changed throughout this time and I am grateful to the great people of ºÚÁÏÉçÇø for making me feel at home again in the Kingdom.

This time around, the geopolitical landscape is certainly very different from both 1979 and 2002. There are major security threats arising from multiple sources, including the ever-increasing Israeli aggression, the plight of the Palestinians, instability in Lebanon, the transition in Syria, threats to maritime security in the Red Sea, and the conflict in Sudan. While global attention is currently — and rightly — on the developments in Palestine in general and Gaza in particular, we should not be distracted from the implications of these matters in the wider region.

The recent unprovoked Israeli attack targeting the Hamas delegation in Doha during ceasefire negotiations was yet another example of Tel Aviv seeking escalation in the region. It clearly demonstrated the extent of Israel’s expansionist policies and its adoption of terrorism as a state policy. It was also a stark reminder that Israel has become the most serious threat to peace and security at both the regional and international levels.

These developments highlight the pressing need for deeper cooperation between our two countries

Prof. Dr. Emrullah Isler

These developments highlight the pressing need for deeper cooperation between our two countries, namely Turkiye and ºÚÁÏÉçÇø. Our countries share similar perspectives on numerous regional issues, including those mentioned above. We have a strong common ground on upholding the principles of respect for sovereignty and good neighborliness, along with promoting dialogue and diplomacy, to achieve peace and security in the Middle East.

The joint Arab League-Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit held in Doha last month was a clear reflection of this common ground. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the margins of the summit and had a fruitful exchange on bilateral relations and regional issues. Moreover, Turkiye has been an active supporter of and participant in the High-Level International Conference on the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-organized by ºÚÁÏÉçÇø and France, at the UN General Assembly, as well as the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

The growth in tourism between the two countries is boosting our already strong people-to-people ties

Prof. Dr. Emrullah Isler

In addition to the strengthening Turkish-Saudi coordination at international forums, our bilateral relations are also deepening. Our foreign ministers are in regular contact — they met twice in just the last month — and in May they co-chaired the second meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council in Riyadh.

Concurrently, economic relations between our countries are strengthening and bilateral trade and investments are expanding across a wide range of sectors. In addition to Hajj and Umrah visitors, the growth in tourism between the two countries is boosting our already strong people-to-people ties. Besides, we have increasing military and defense industry cooperation, which is becoming more important than ever in the face of the increasing security threats in the region.

Yet there is still untapped potential between the two countries and a lot of work ahead if we are to further expand the cooperation between our brotherly countries. We regard ºÚÁÏÉçÇø not merely as a major and trusted partner, but also as a brotherly Muslim nation with which to work together for stability and prosperity in our region and beyond.

• Prof. Dr. Emrullah Isler is Turkiye’s ambassador to ºÚÁÏÉçÇø.