Turkey and Saudi Arabia: From bitter rivals to strategic partners

Turkey and Saudi Arabia: From bitter rivals to strategic partners Submitted by Rayhan Uddin on Sat, 08/08/2026 - 14:44 As Riyadh and Ankara sign a historic defence agreement with Pakistan, MEE charts the turbulent ties between the two powers under Erdogan and Mohammed bin Salman Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is received by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on 7 August 2026 (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters) Off In a highly symbolic move, the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Turkey were pictured performing Friday prayers together this week in the holy city of Mecca. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud were joined at the holiest site in Islam by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. For years, Ankara and Riyadh have been moving closer together and mending previously turbulent relations.