Turkey wants to improve its trade relationship with Egypt

Turkey wants to improve its trade relationship with Egypt “in parallel” with restoring diplomatic ties, according to Turkish Trade Minister Mehmet Mus, Reuters reports.

Mus’ statement comes ahead of an expected visit from a delegation of high-level Turkish diplomats to Cairo this week.

Ties between Ankara and Cairo have been strained since 2013, when Egypt’s army toppled a Muslim Brotherhood president close to Turkey, in what Ankara said was a military coup.

Despite the political frictions, Ankara says Cairo remains its biggest African trade partner, with the value of trade standing at $4.86 billion last year, only marginally down from 2012, the year before Turkey’s ally Mohamed Mursi was toppled.