Türkiye and Jordan will further strengthen their close friendship and deepen bilateral ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Feb. 7 as he met King Abdullah II in Istanbul.
Erdoğan welcomed the Jordanian monarch at the Dolmabahçe Palace, where the two held a one-on-one meeting, followed by talks between their delegations.
The meeting was also attended by Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organization chief İbrahim Kalın and presidential adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
Following their meeting, Erdoğan was awarded the Order of Al Hussein bin Ali, the highest order of the Kingdom of Jordan. According to the Royal Hashemite Court, it was "in recognition of his efforts to strengthen the deep historical ties and distinguished relations between the two countries."
“In today’s meetings with my dear brother, King Abdullah of Jordan, we made important decisions that will strengthen the friendship between our two countries,” Erdoğan said in remarks after receiving the honor.
The president said he and Abdullah share a common view on the need for peace, security and stability across the region, expressing appreciation for Jordan’s efforts in safeguarding the holy sites in East Jerusalem.
He also expressed his pleasure and gratitude at receiving the award, saying he sees it as a “concrete manifestation of the deep historical ties” between the two countries.
“I believe that this exceptional order will further strengthen our long-standing brotherhood and friendship," he said.
For his part, Abdullah highlighted Türkiye’s efforts to reduce regional tensions and to safeguard the sovereignty of all countries.
“We remain committed to working with you for a more peaceful Middle East,” he said.
He said the award presented to Erdoğan symbolizes the friendship and brotherhood between Jordan and Türkiye.
“It is an expression of appreciation for the decades of cooperation between our nations. I hope it will also serve as a symbol of our commitment to continue advancing our relations and serving our peoples and our region,” he added.
Abdullah said the “highly productive” meeting with Erdoğan represented an important step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, industry, education, transportation and defense fields. Before departing the palace, the two leaders held an official dinner.
The meeting followed Erdoğan's two-day tour of Saudi Arabia and Egypt earlier in the week, his first foreign trip of the year.
Erdoğan first traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Increasing bilateral trade was a key topic, along with steps to achieve that goal. Regional defense cooperation and potential defense industry exports to Gulf countries were also discussed.
Erdoğan later visited Egypt to meet President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Talks reportedly included bilateral trade relations, regional stability efforts in Syria and humanitarian and reconstruction initiatives in Gaza.
