Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman held a joint press conference on Thursday following their bilateral meeting and discussions between their respective delegations.

“This is the first-ever visit at the level of head of state from Oman to Türkiye,” President Erdoğan remarked, highlighting the significance of the visit. “Our relations with Oman, with which we have deep-rooted historical and brotherly ties, continue to improve in every area. Together with my esteemed brother, we want to further our relations in every area,” he added, expressing gratitude to Sultan Haitham for Oman's solidarity following the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye last year.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of 10 agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation across diverse sectors, including foreign relations, economy, industry, investment, health, culture, agriculture, and husbandry.

President Erdoğan emphasized their mutual goal of elevating economic and trade ties: “We aim to increase our economic and trade relations to $5 billion as an initial target, reflecting our current potential. Our contracting firms have completed projects worth $7 billion so far, and we discussed their potential contributions to Oman’s Vision 2040.”

The discussions also covered pressing regional developments, with President Erdoğan underscoring the need for greater unity in the Muslim world in response to escalating violence in Palestine.

“Türkiye stands ready to provide any kind of support for the restoration of peace and stability in Lebanon,” Erdoğan said, welcoming the positive outcomes of recent ceasefire negotiations in the region.

Turning to the situation in Gaza, he stressed the urgency of establishing a just and lasting ceasefire: “We cannot achieve regional or global peace until an immediate, just, and lasting ceasefire is established in Gaza. U.S. President Biden’s statement on launching a new initiative for a ceasefire in Gaza is a very late but important step.”

Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye’s readiness to act as a mediator or guarantor in efforts to achieve lasting peace, reaffirming the country's commitment to playing a proactive role in resolving the crisis. (ILKHA)