Turkish FM in fence-mending visit to S Arabia

Riyadh: Turkey’s foreign minister arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks on Monday, his first trip since dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder in Istanbul worsened relations between both countries.

Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visit, apparently aimed at mending ties with Riyadh, comes amid renewed clashes at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east al-Quds.

"In Saudi Arabia to discuss bilateral relations and important regional issues, especially the attacks at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the oppression against the Palestinian people," Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter. The revered Al-Aqsa Mosque has been the scene of fierce clashes since Friday between Israeli police and Muslim worshippers.

The trip comes as Turkey seeks to repair relations with its regional rivals, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Ankara’s relations with Riyadh deteriorated sharply after the October 2018 murder of Khashoggi, 59, a Saudi insider-turned-critic who wrote columns for The Washington Post.