Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting. File photo
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a two-day visit, his office said, marking the culmination of a months-long effort by Ankara to repair ties with Riyadh.
The presidency said Erdogan will discuss Ankara's relations with the kingdom in meetings during the trip, as well as ways to increase cooperation.
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With Turkey's economy now facing deepening woes and tough elections looming, Erdogan is pushing to mend Ankara's strained diplomatic relations.
"Turkey cannot continue this sphere-of-influence game that it has been pursuing since the beginning of the Arab Spring," said Birol Baskan, Turkey-based non-resident scholar at Washington-based Middle East Institute.