Turkish and Saudi Arabian officials are preparing to eliminate visa requirements for citizens traveling between the two nations, according to a Turkish diplomatic source who spoke Tuesday.
The visa elimination agreement is expected to be finalized Wednesday when foreign ministers from both countries meet in Ankara for high-level diplomatic discussions.
The diplomatic breakthrough comes as the two Middle Eastern powers work to rebuild a relationship that was severely fractured following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials at the time pointed fingers at high-ranking Saudi leaders for planning the killing.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will meet with Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan to lead a session of the Turkey-Saudi Coordination Council. During these talks, officials plan to sign the visa waiver for both regular and diplomatic passport holders, the diplomatic source confirmed.
The source indicated that Fidan will emphasize Turkey’s commitment to “regional ownership” when addressing Middle Eastern conflicts and highlight Ankara’s ongoing constructive role in efforts to end the war in Iran.
Fidan will also stress that events surrounding the Strait of Hormuz must not create “new tensions and provocations,” the source noted.
The relationship between Ankara and Riyadh has shown remarkable improvement since 2021, when Turkey withdrew its allegations of Saudi government involvement in Khashoggi’s death. This shift was part of a broader Turkish diplomatic initiative to rebuild connections with regional adversaries, including Saudi Arabia.
Since 2020, both nations have been taking deliberate measures to restore their previously strong ties.
