When Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by his own country’s agents in Istanbul three years ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to revel in the bad publicity it created for Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, with his aides disclosing gory details to a shocked world.
Now, with inflation above 60% and finances shaky a year ahead of elections, Erdogan’s making an unprecedented bid to mend ties and lure investment from the world’s biggest oil exporter. Turkish officials say he’s visiting Saudi Arabia today and will meet with Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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Flush with cash from buoyant oil prices, the prince is in less of a hurry. His government has engaged with Erdogan’s but has yet to confirm the visit, or summit, which coincides with the arrival of Pakistan’s new premier.
Saudi Arabia was once a key market for Turkish exports, which reached $3.2 billion in value in 2019 before an unofficial boycott gutted trade.
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