UAE delegation arrives in Ankara for defense talks

Following the recent deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey that was seen as the beginning of a new era in bilateral ties, a delegation from the Abu Dhabi government officials are in Ankara to explore “cooperation opportunities” in the defense sector, a Turkish official said Tuesday.

Ankara and Abu Dhabi signed accords for billions of dollars of investments two weeks ago and President Tayyip Erdogan said they would herald a “new era” in ties.

As part of a new diplomatic initiative launched last year, Turkey has also moved to repair ties with Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The UAE delegation met with the Defense Industries Directorate (SSB) on Monday, the official said on condition of anonymity.

SSB Chairperson Ismail Demir said at the weekend that the two countries had the potential to work together in the defense sector, indicating that Abu Dhabi had shown interest in the Turkish sector.

“When we look at our defense industry figures, we see that our defense industry relations continued even during times of crises. There was contact even when relations were not at their highest,” Demir said.

“I would like to point out that these contacts will be better when relations improve.”

Turkey said in September it was in talks with the UAE over investments in energy such as power generation. The UAE, whose sovereign wealth funds have made significant investments in Turkish online grocer Getir and e-commerce platform Trendyol, has said it seeks deeper economic ties with Ankara.

The UAE has accelerated a push to step back from regional conflicts and refocus on the economy. Its ties with Turkey had been strained following the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, and the countries were on opposite sides in Libya’s conflict.