Turkey and Saudi Arabia sign defense deals as Erdogan begins three-nation Gulf tour

Middle East, News July 19, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Saudi Arabia on July 17, 2023, beginning his three-state Gulf tour. Erdogan is pushing to mend diplomatic and economic ties with Gulf powers to support Ankara’s struggling economy.

Turkish President began the first leg of his Gulf tour from the Saudi city of Jeddah where he arrived with an entourage of some 200 businesspeople. Erdogan met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler.

According to the Saudi state-owned news agency, the two leaders held a bilateral meeting at Al Salam Palace. The meeting focused on exploring trade and investment opportunities, especially in the energy and defense sectors.

Energy and business agreements signed

Turkiye and Saudi Arabia also inked several memorandums of understanding and established a Saudi-Turk Business Forum. Erdogan plans to establish similar business forums in UAE and Qatar in the coming days as he plans to visit the two countries after concluding his trip to Saudi Arabia.

*^{Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Palace on July 17, 2023. (Image Credit: SPA)}*

Erdogan said before leaving Istanbul, “During our visits, our primary agenda will be joint investment and commercial activities with these countries in the upcoming period.”

The Turkish president stated that two-way trade with Gulf countries has shot up from $1.6 billion to about $22 billion over the past 20 years. “With the business forums to be organized, we will look for ways to move this figure much further,” he added.

Prince Khalid and Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler also signed the Saudi-Turk defense cooperation plan during the visit.

Saudi Arabia acquiring Turkish Akinci drones

Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the signing ceremony between Turkish defense firm Baykar and the Saudi defense ministry.

Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar signed its largest defense deal with Saudi Arabia during Turkish President Erdogan’s visit. @modgovksa and @BaykarTech signed 2 contracts under which KSA will acquire Turkish Akinci drones to bolster its defense and manufacturing capabilities🇹🇷🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/fUoN2hkdyy
— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) July 18, 2023

According to Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Riyadh is set to buy Turkish-made drones “to enhance the readiness of the kingdom’s armed forces and bolster its defense and manufacturing capabilities.”

Saudi Defense Ministry did not release any details about the contract, however, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar said it was the biggest defense and aviation export contract with the Kingdom in Turkey’s history. “We signed a contract with the Saudi Arabian defense ministry for the Bayraktar Akinci (unmanned combat aerial vehicle) export and cooperation,” he said in a tweet.

Erdogan gifts Turkish electric car to Saudi royal family

Erdogan gifted two Turkish-made TOGG electric cars to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Turkey has full patent rights to the car and aims to make it a global brand.

Soon after receiving the gift, the Crown Prince was seen driving one of the cars with Erdogan in the passenger seat.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leave the Al Salam Royal Palace in Jeddah in Turkiye’s first electric car Togg – gifted by Erdogan to Saudi Arabia’s royal family. 📹: @Spa_Eng pic.twitter.com/vTSALA5SvL
— IRIA (@IRIA_Research) July 18, 2023