Turkey’s Erdogan visits Saudi Arabia to mend strained ties

By ANDREW WILKS and ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has landed in Saudi Arabia as part of his country’s latest efforts to build bridges with its key regional rival. The two-day visit kicked off on Thursday evening. It’s Erdogan’s first official trip to the kingdom since Turkey dropped the trial of 26 Saudis suspected of involvement in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October 2018. The Turkish presidency said talks in Saudi Arabia will focus on ways of increasing cooperation and the sides will exchange views on regional and international issues. The decision earlier this month to transfer the prosecution to Saudi Arabia removed the last stumbling block to renewed Turkey-Saudi ties.