His Majesty and Turkish President hold session of expanded talks

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Türkiye held an official session of expanded talks at Al Alam Palace today.

At the outset of the session, His Majesty  extended a renewed welcome to the esteemed President and the distinguished accompanying delegation, expressing his profound pride in the enduring relations that unite the two nations, delivering an address as follows:

“Dear Brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,

“It is with immense pleasure that we extend our welcome to Your Excellency and your accompanying delegation in your second home, the Sultanate of Oman. We deeply value the personal commitment of Your Excellency and your Government toward advancing the strategic partnership between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Türkiye.

“We likewise seize this auspicious occasion to reaffirm the profound historical relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Türkiye, as we look forward to enhancing these bonds across all dimensions and fields of vital interest to our two nations.

“Your Excellency's current visit builds directly upon the constructive dialogue and substantive consultations we held during our visit to Ankara last November. We wish to express our profound satisfaction with the discussions we have undertaken and with our strategic partnership, which through that previous engagement, we successfully elevated to a new and promising chapter.

“We observe with considerable satisfaction the notable advancement of commercial and investment relations between the Republic of Türkiye and the Sultanate of Oman, which have demonstrated commendable progress in recent years. This constructive evolution is manifest in the expanding trade volume between our two nations and the formal establishment of the joint investment fund—an initiative that will undoubtedly serve to fortify the strategic partnership between our countries.

“We maintain a shared aspiration to realise our mutual vision of elevating bilateral trade volume to five billion US dollars in the coming years. Furthermore, the recent removal of entry visa requirements for Turkish citizens visiting our nation will unquestionably stimulate tourism exchange and facilitate the entry of Turkish business leaders seeking to advance their commercial undertakings.

“We urge all relevant institutions across both our nations, encompassing both public and private sectors, to sustain their dedicated efforts in exploring partnership opportunities and enabling our business communities to capitalise on promising commercial and investment prospects. These collaborative endeavours shall yield mutual benefits that will significantly contribute to the welfare, stability, and prosperity of our two countries.

“Our bilateral relations represent a dynamic paradigm of fruitful cooperation. Turkish enterprises have consistently demonstrated pioneering leadership in supporting infrastructure and development initiatives throughout the Sultanate of Oman. Concurrently, Omani investments in the Republic of Türkiye reflect our profound confidence in the robustness of the Turkish economy and the constructive partnerships flourishing between our private sectors.

“We therefore regard with considerable optimism the promising prospects for enhanced collaboration across diverse sectors including manufacturing industries, defense industries, logistics, tourism, and other vital fields that will contribute significantly to the economic diversification of both our nations. Several agreements and memoranda of understanding are scheduled for signing immediately following this session.

“While we earnestly aspire to strengthen collaboration between our educational institutions to advance research and innovation in technology, healthcare, and food security, we simultaneously affirm the vital importance of sustaining cultural cooperation, which serves to enrich mutual understanding and promote civilizational exchange between our peoples.

“Your Excellency,

“Our two nations share a steadfast commitment to advancing peace and stability. We hold in high regard the continuous endeavours to strengthen regional cooperation and wish to express our profound appreciation for Türkiye's principled positions on critical matters affecting our region. We maintain our unwavering dedication to achieving a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian cause, founded upon the two-state solution and international law. Furthermore, we commend Your Excellency's instrumental role in ending the genocidal military campaign conducted by Israel against the Gaza Strip, which culminated, through Divine grace and your sincere diplomatic efforts, in the ceasefire agreement reached in Sharm El-Sheikh, in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

“We renew our profound appreciation and welcome as we commemorate the distinguished historical bonds and civilizational connection between our two nations, while exploring further avenues for constructive cooperation that shall bring prosperity and advancement to our peoples. We extend our sincere wishes for a most pleasant stay to you and your distinguished delegation.

“We convey our heartfelt aspirations for the friendly Turkish people's continued progress and flourishing.

“We thank you, Your Excellency.

“May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.”

For his part, the President of the Republic of Türkiye expressed his profound gratitude and deep appreciation to His Majesty the Sultan for the gracious reception and generous hospitality. He emphasised the enduring strength of the historical relations and fraternal bonds connecting the two nations.

President Erdoğan noted that His Majesty's visit to Türkiye in November last year represented a significant milestone in advancing bilateral relations, expressing his confidence that his current visit to the Sultanate of Oman would further consolidate cooperation and open expansive new horizons across multiple sectors.

He said that during the frank and cordial talks with His Majesty during the private meeting, perspectives were exchanged on the Palestinian cause—a matter of profound concern to the entire Islamic world—as well as current regional and international developments, noting the convergence of the two countries' views on these critical issues.

The President fadded that both nations are working collaboratively to strengthen humanitarian and cultural ties between their peoples. He announced the Republic of Türkiye's decision to exempt Omani citizens from entry visa requirements, while simultaneously expressing gratitude for the Sultanate of Oman's reciprocal visa exemption for Turkish citizens. This mutual arrangement, he noted, will significantly enhance cooperation in trade, investment, and tourism. He also conveyed appreciation for the Omani government's support of the Yunus Emre Institute's activities in Muscat and expressed confidence that the Turkish Maarif Foundation School, scheduled to open in 2028, would substantially strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and friendship between the two countries.

The session explored means of enhancing the Omani-Turkish partnership, particularly in the areas of investment, trade, media, industry, energy, technology, maritime and land transport, in a manner that serves interests of the two peoples. The two Leaders also exchanged views on the regional developments.

The session was attended from Oman by His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs; Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal Albusaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court; General Sultan bin Mohammed Al Nomani, Minister of the Royal Office; Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, Foreign Minister; Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, Minister of Finance; Dr Hamad bin Said Al Oufi, Head of the Private Office; Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, President of Oman Investment Authority; Qais bin Mohamed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (Head of the Mission of Honour), Engineer Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals; and Saif Aljahwari, Oman's Ambassador to Türkiye.

From Türkiye the session was attended by Necmettin Bilal Erdogan, son of the President; Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Yasar Guler, Minister of Defence; Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology; Omer Bolat, Minister of Trade; Mehmet Hakimoğlu, the Ambassador of Turkiye to Oman and various officials.

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.