Saudi-Turkish Agreement to Address “Iranian Interference”
Fahd Al-Zayabi Asharq Al Awsat Monday, 1 Feb, 2016
http://english.aawsat.com/2016/02/article55347153/saudi-turkish-agreement-to-address-iranian-interference

Custodian of the two holy mosques discusses bilateral relations and
developments in the region with Davutoglu

The Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir revealed yesterday that the talks
held by the Saudi and Turkish delegations during the Turkish Prime Minister
Ahmed Davutoglu’s visit to Saudi Arabia touched on addressing Iran’s
aggression towards countries in the region and its lack of respect for the
principles of good neighbourliness.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz held
official talks with Davutoglu in Riyadh yesterday and they discussed the
strengthening of relations between the two countries and regional and
international developments.

Al-Jubeir said during a press conference that he held with his Turkish
counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Riyadh that they also discussed the
establishment of a strategic coordination council between Saudi Arabia and
Turkey and the details of joint cooperation. He also stressed that Saudi
Arabia supports Turkey’s position on defending its territories as it deems
appropriate.

Al-Jubeir mentioned that the joint council between Riyadh and Ankara is
related to ways to fight terrorism militarily and the political coordination
of positions on important issues in the region, especially in light of
corresponding views on Syria, Iran, Yemen and Iranian intervention. The
council will also deal with trade, ways to develop the people of both
countries, economic prosperity and issues related to medicine, education and
research.

The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu demanded that Iran retreat
from its sectarian stance against countries in the region and added that
Turkey opposes sectarianism and supports the position of Saudi Arabia and
will work with it to strengthen relations in a constructive manner in the
future.

In a related context, Cavusoglu expressed Turkey’s desire to normalise
relations with Egypt and his hopes that the Egyptian leadership would
respond positively to Turkey. The Turkish foreign minister welcomed Saudi
Arabia’s efforts to unite the views of the two countries and its suggestion
of a number of ideas with regards to this.