Egyptian envoy slams claims of rivalry between Turkey, Egypt

Egyptian Ambassador to Turkey Abderahman Salaheldin has dismissed suggestions that Turkey and Egypt are in competition and a rivalry over regional prominence, saying these sources are ill-intended and ill-informed. "Turkey and Egypt are two important countries in the region that are not in competition but in cooperation," said the top Egyptian diplomat during a lecture titled "Not Just Seasonal: Arab Spring and Turkish-Egyptian Cooperation in the New Middle East" at the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) on Wednesday.Salaheldin has stated that the Egyptian revolution had positive ramifications for Egypt's relations with Turkey. "The already strong relations have boomed in the aftermath of the revolution," said the envoy. Touching upon Erdogan's visit on Nov.17-18, Salaheldin said that visit gave a further boost to bilateral relations and displayed the strong will of the two regional powers to enhance their cooperation in a wide array of fields.Salaheldin, who described Turkish-Egyptian relations as multifaceted, stated that the ties between the two nations were prospering and progressing at an unprecedented pace."Today, two nations are important players in finding a solution to the two-year-long Syrian crisis," said envoy.