Egyptian and Turkish officials were meeting Wednesday for talks aiming to reset ties between the two regional powers after years of enmity.
The two-day "political consultations" between the two nations starting in Cairo were chaired by Hamdi Loza, Egypt's deputy foreign minister, and his Turkish counterpart Sedat Önal. Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced the meetings in a statement late Tuesday.
It described the talks as "exploratory discussions" that would focus on "the necessary steps that may lead towards the normalization of relations between the two countries, bilaterally and in the regional context."
Egypt and Turkey have been at loggerheads since the Egyptian military's 2013 ouster of president from the Muslim Brotherhood group who enjoyed the support of Turkey.
Recently, top Turkish officials signaled a warming of ties with Egypt, a shift from their previous, sharply critical approach to the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on March 12 that the two countries have held "intelligence, diplomatic and economic" contacts, adding that he hoped for "strong" ties between the two nations.
Egypt welcomed the move, calling it a "good initiative from the Turkish side that establishes a favorable atmosphere to discuss issues of dispute between the two nations."
