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Türkiye and Saudi Arabia released a sweeping joint declaration following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's official visit to Riyadh on Tuesday, pledging to deepen defense cooperation and taking unified positions on conflicts across the Middle East and Africa.
The two nations agreed to activate existing defense cooperation agreements and strengthen military ties through multilateral platforms, according to the joint statement issued after Erdogan's meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The declaration emphasized collaboration on combating extremism, terrorism financing, and cybersecurity threats.
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both countries condemned what they described as Israel's obstruction of humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for the opening of all crossings throughout the Strip. The two sides welcomed their participation in the Peace Council led by U.S. President Donald Trump and expressed support for the second phase of a comprehensive peace plan for Gaza.
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia jointly rejected Israel's recognition of Somaliland, reaffirming their support for Somalia's territorial integrity and unity. The statement described the mutual recognition declaration between Israeli authorities and the breakaway region as a unilateral separatist action that violates international law and escalates regional tensions.
On Yemen, the declaration backed the internationally recognized government represented by the Presidential Leadership Council and opposed attempts to divide the country or support internal forces that threaten security and stability. The Turkish side expressed support for Saudi Arabia's efforts to end the Yemen crisis, including hosting a comprehensive conference in Riyadh with participation from all southern groups.
Both nations rejected what they termed illegitimate parallel structures in Sudan outside the framework of legitimate state institutions. The statement called for protecting state institutions and launching a Sudanese-led political process to establish a civilian government, while emphasizing the need to prevent Sudan from becoming a stage for conflicts and illegal weapons trafficking.
On Syria, the countries expressed support for the Syrian government's efforts to maintain security, stability and territorial integrity. They backed the January 30 ceasefire and integration agreement and condemned repeated Israeli violations of Syrian territory. The declaration called for Israel's immediate withdrawal from all occupied Syrian territories.
The two sides highlighted opportunities to expand economic ties through mutual investment in priority sectors, pointing to the Saudi Vision 2030 and Türkiye's Century Vision. They emphasized accelerating feasibility studies for electricity interconnection between the countries and exploring cooperation in clean hydrogen technology.
A Turkish-Saudi Investment Forum held in Riyadh on February 3 showcased investment opportunities in tourism, hospitality, construction, communications, information technology, life sciences and health sectors, with significant participation from major companies in both countries.
Defense Industry President Haluk Gorgun, who participated in the meetings, stated that discussions held on the foundation of mutual trust and strong political will would result in concrete, long-term partnerships. He emphasized that collaborations based on technology, sustainability and mutual benefit in defense industries would continue contributing to regional stability and global security.
The visit resulted in the signing of four agreements covering justice, renewable energy, peaceful use of space, and research and development cooperation. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman extended greetings from King Salman bin Abdulaziz and invited Erdogan to host Saudi leadership in Türkiye in the future.
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