Turkey and Saudi Arabia push deeper alliance years after Khashoggi killing

Turkey and Saudi Arabia are expected to sign an agreement scrapping visa requirements for certain categories of travellers during high-level talks in Ankara on Wednesday, according to a Turkish diplomatic source.

The agreement is set to apply to holders of special and diplomatic passports and is expected to be signed during a meeting of the Turkey-Saudi Coordination Council, chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

The planned accord marks another step in the steady improvement of relations between Ankara and Riyadh following years of tensions sparked by the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

At the time, Turkey accused senior Saudi officials of orchestrating the killing, leading to a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations. However, both countries have worked since 2020 to rebuild diplomatic and economic ties.

According to the Turkish source, Fidan is expected to reiterate Ankara’s support for “regional ownership” in addressing Middle East issues during Wednesday’s discussions. He is also expected to stress that Turkey will continue contributing to efforts aimed at ending the war in Iran.

The source added that Turkey’s foreign minister will warn against any escalation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, saying developments in the strategic waterway should not trigger “new tensions and provocations”.

Relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia have improved significantly since 2021, after Ankara softened its stance over the Khashoggi case and launched a broader diplomatic effort to repair ties with regional powers, including Riyadh.