Update: Saudı Crown Prınce Arrives in Ankara on a 2-Day Visit to Turkey

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Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, has arrived in Ankara on a two-day visit to Turkey. The Saudi crown prince was welcomed by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim upon his arrival at the Esenboga International Airport in Ankara with an official ceremony at Cankaya Palace, reported Anadolu Agency.

The Saudi Gazette reported that during the two-day visit, the Crown Prince is expected to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and senior government officials on ways to fight terrorism, and means to further deepen the bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields.

Meanwhile, senior adviser at the Investment Support and Promotion Agency at the Turkish prime ministry, Mustafa Goksu, said the Turkish government would also discuss with the Crown Prince the signing of a free trade agreement between Turkey and GCC states.

He added that the Turkish government would announce by the end of this year new incentives and facilities to encourage Saudi and Gulf businessmen to invest in the country.

It is noteworthy that more than 700 Saudi companies have investments of more than $2 billion in Turkey.

New period for Muhammad Bin Nayef

Despite the deputy crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman is the person who announced  the Saudi Vision 2030, which is intended to restructure the Kingdom’s entire economy, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Nayef is the one who will visit turkey and sign a number of economic agreements, according to media reports.

Bin Nayef’s re-emergence on the political scene was confirmed after Hajj (pilgrimage), particularly after King Salman congratulated him on the success of the season of Hajj 2016, and then his participation at the UN General Assembly in New York.

During the participants’ speeches, Saudi Crown Prince was seen standing to greet the Turkish president, a move which was described by activists and internet bloggers as a sign aiming to enforce the relations between the Kingdom and the Turkish government after the cold relations that emerged after Saudi Arabia’s delayed reaction to Turkey’s coup attempt on July 15.

It is noteworthy that the relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia were affected by hosting Fethullah Gulen, who was accused by Turkey of plotting the failed coup, on Saudi Al Arabiya TV Channel Last August.

This Visit is the first for a Saudi highness to Turkey after the failed coup attempt in Turkey, knowing that King Salman bin Abdulaziz visited Turkey last April, and that time it was seen as a key moment for relations between the two leading Sunni Muslim powers.

During the April’s visit, Deputy crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman did not King accompany his father on his visit to Turkey, although he was with him in Egypt, just one day before The Turkish visit.

Bin Nayef and Bin Salman..a real game of thrones

In Saudi Arabia, there is like an undeclared competition between The Crown Prince Bin Nayef and The Deputy Crown Prince Bin Salman, as known He is now named “the most dangerous man in the world and the the real power in the kingdom”, according to a report published in The Independent Last January.

Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, has become a prominent figure at the regional and international levels since he launched the “Operation Decisive Storm” in Yemen, and called for an Arab-Islamic military alliance,which was the first of its kind in the region.

Analysis reveals that Muhammad Bin Salman works with the support of the US administration and United Arab Emirates, to rich the head of the kingdom, by decreasing the role of The Crown Prince.

Muhammad bin Salman during the first half of June, visited the United States of America, a visit which was described as “historic” in the Arab media, because of its many connotations in light of the talk about a clear tension in US-Saudi relations.

The US administration prepared at that time a large number of meetings for the young prince with US officials, particularly with the defense and foreign secretaries,the CIA chief, the trade secretary, the economic team of President Obama, and then his meeting US President Barack Obama.

Early this month, Muhammad Bin Salman visited China, and signed 15 agreements with China in several areas, most notably housing, science, technology, water resources, and oil storing.

Also, at the the same month Bin Salman headed to Pakistan, Japan, and represented his father in the G20summit in China .

Close cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Turkey

During Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir’s visit to Ankara, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s support to his country following the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15.

Daily Sabah, a Turkish daily newspaper, reported that the committee established between Turkey and Saudi Arabia is “strategic and coordinating in different areas, including security, military, trade and finance, investment,terrorism and social and cultural issues”.

The newspaper also outlined that a drafted number of agreements have been signed between the two countries; some of them will be finalized soon.

Furthermore, the Saudi Foreign Minister affirmed that the Kingdon supports Turkey and that the two countries closely cooperate against terrorist organizations.

“We support what Turkey is doing, we work very closely with Turkey on supporting the moderate Syrian opposition,” he added.

According to Al Sharq Alawsat, Turkey has also been vocal on the US’ Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), and has vehemently opposed the bill. Erdogan, in fact, called on the US and the US officials, including President Barack Obama, to veto the bill.

In a recent report, Erdogan said: “Turkey will never approve such an act by the US. The entire country cannot be held responsible just because a few Saudi nationals committed a crime.