Old Foes UAE and Turkey Pledge Better Defense Ties
- Pact follows attack on Gulf nation by Iran-backed forces
- Economic accords foresee cooperation in agriculture, industry
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Feb. 14.
Photographer: Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates signed a defense industry cooperation agreement and a series of economic accords, cementing their newfound rapprochement after the Gulf nation came under attack by Iranian-backed fighters.
“The will of statesmen is very important for relations between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to reach the level they deserve,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is visiting the Gulf nation, said at a joint news conference on Tuesday with UAE de facto ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “It is the leaders’ task to lay the groundwork for cooperation to grow in every field from trade to defense, from tourism to energy and transportation.”