Erdogan speaks with UAE crown prince over strained ties

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held a rare phone call with the UAE's ruler, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Erdogan's office said on Tuesday, in a new sign of efforts to improve ties between the regional rivals. Turkey and the UAE have competed for regional influence since the Arab uprisings erupted a decade ago, a rivalry which saw them backing different sides in Libya's civil war and extended to disputes from the eastern Mediterranean to the Gulf, reported British wire service. Erdogan said last year Turkey was considering breaking off diplomatic relations after the Gulf state's accord to normalise ties with Israel.

"Relations between the countries and regional issues were discussed in the talks," Erdogan's office said of his call with Sheikh Mohammed. The call came two weeks after Erdogan met a senior UAE official and said the two countries had made progress in improving relations which could lead to significant UAE investment in Turkey.

"It is in everyone's interest to pursue an agreement-based policy instead of a conflict-based policy. Because the latter has costs. This is an important development," a senior Turkish official said of the latest talks. The UAE's state news agency WAM said both leaders discussed "the prospects of reinforcing relations between the two nations in a way that serves their common interests and their two peoples."