Turkey, Saudi Arabia eye visa rule changes

Turkey and Saudi Arabia plan to sign an agreement to scrap visa requirements for some of their citizens during talks between their foreign ministers in Ankara on Wednesday, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Tuesday.

Relations between Ankara and Riyadh were badly damaged after the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, after Turkey accused senior Saudi officials of orchestrating the killing. The two sides have taken steps since 2020 to repair ties.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, are due to chair a meeting of the Turkey‑Saudi Coordination Council, during which the accord is expected to be signed for holders of special and diplomatic passports, the source said.

The source said Fidan would reiterate Turkey's push for "regional ownership" in addressing Middle East issues and stress that Ankara would continue to contribute constructively to efforts to end the war in Iran.

He will also underline that developments around the Strait of Hormuz should not lead to "new tensions and provocations", the source added.

Ties have improved markedly since 2021, after Turkey dropped its accusations of Saudi state involvement in Khashoggi's killing and launched a broader diplomatic effort to mend relations with regional rivals, including Riyadh.