23-10-2025

Month: July 2023

Labour must learn the lessons of its by-election defeat in Uxbridge, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader had blamed the loss on London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) – a tax on polluting vehicles.

Conservative Steve Tuckwell won the seat after campaigning against the tax.

Addressing Labour’s national forum, Sir Keir said there was “something very wrong” when a Labour policy was on “each and every Tory leaflet”.

In a bruising week for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour and the Lib Dems took two safe Tory seats. Labour’s Keir Mather, 25, won in Selby and Ainsty, North Yorkshire, overturning a 20,137 majority to become the youngest sitting MP.

The Conservatives clung on narrowly in the third by-election, in Uxbridge, Boris Johnson’s former seat, despite a big swing to Labour.

Sir Keir said that while the by-election win in North Yorkshire should give Labour “every reason to be confident”, the loss in Uxbridge showed there was “still a long way to go”.

 

The Conservative win in Uxbridge sparked debates about both parties’ green policies.

Speaking during a visit to Shefford in Nadine Dorries’ constituency of Mid Bedfordshire, the Labour leader told journalists: “I don’t think there is any doubt that Ulez was the reason that we lost the election in Uxbridge.”

Sir Keir said he had spoken to the London mayor, adding: “But we’re not sitting back, we’re not looking over our shoulder. We’re pressing forward.”

Sources close to Mr Khan told the BBC he was in “constructive listening mode” but added that he had no plans to delay the scheme’s expansion at the end of August.

Asked whether Labour needs to rethink its climate polices, Sir Keir said: “When it comes to green commitments, it’s not a question of whether they should be done, of course it needs to be done – it’s how they’re done.

“So there’s a discussion to be had about that.”

Mr Tuckwell, the winning candidate in Uxbridge, said the “damaging and costly Ulez policy” had cost Labour the chance of winning the seat.

The Ulez is a £12.50 daily charge for driving in London, applicable if the vehicle does not meet certain emission standards. It initially covered the same central area as the congestion charge before widening to the North and South Circular roads in 2021.

A further expansion to cover all London boroughs is due to start on 29 August.

On Friday, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said the Uxbridge result showed that “when you don’t listen to voters, you don’t win elections”.

Cities need clean air, she said, but she warned that people who needed new vehicles must get “proper compensation and support” so that the policy does not come “at the cost of working families”.

Some on the right of the Conservative party say that pulling back from some green policies would prove popular with voters, at a time when families are feeling cost-of-living pressures.

Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, chairman of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group, has suggested delaying the ban on new diesel and petrol cars, pushing it back “at least” five years to 2035.

Downing Street sources say there are no plans to change climate targets – but that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will try to set his party apart from Labour in the coming months.

Conservative MP Steve Tuckwell won the Uxbridge by-election on Thursday

As the major parties digest the by-election results, ex-climate minister Lord Ian Duncan, a Conservative, warned that if Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak do not put politics aside and agree a common approach to climate change, people will face “serious challenges”.

Lord Duncan, who was the parliamentary under secretary for climate change from July 2019 to February 2020, said a “bipartisan approach” was needed from both parties to “get behind” common climate policies.

The UK government’s net zero tsar, Chris Skidmore, said it would be an “abdication” of responsibility if ministers “play politics” with environmental policies.

Mr Skidmore, the Conservative MP for Kingswood, said: “The net zero review I chaired demonstrated that net zero isn’t just an environmental policy, but a key economic driver of future growth and investment that can transform Britain for the better, but this requires all political parties not to play politics with safeguarding our futures.”

He urged politicians to prioritise “the lives and health of the public and the opportunity for economic growth” ahead of “gamesmanship”.

“It is also really bad politics, given that the environment and taking action on climate change consistently polls third in the issues that voters care about,” he added.

13 dead in wall collapse incidents as heavy rains lash Islamabad, Rawalpindi

ISLAMABAD: As many as 13 people were reportedly crushed to death in separate incidents of walls collapse in Islamabad on Wednesday due to heavy monsoon rains in the federal capital and Rawalpindi.

Torrential rains continue to lash the twin cities as the monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea intensified today as forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), with the highest, nearly 200 millimetres, rainfall in Rawalpindi.

Police said that 12 people were killed when the wall of an under-construction bridge came crashing down on them near Golra Mor, Peshawar Road in Islamabad.

They said the wall was 100-foot wide and 11-foot high, under which the labourers had set up a tent to live at the construction site.

The rescue teams reached the site of the incident as soon as they received the report, Rescue 1122 officials stated.

Police said that the rescue workers pulled bodies out from the wall’s debris with the help of machines. Search for more people likely to be stuck under the rubble is underway, with four being rescued alive so far.

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old girl was killed in a similar wall collapse incident in Mohammadi Town within the jurisdiction of Khana Police Station of Islamabad.

In a separate rain-related incident, several people were injured when two buses travelling via Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway barreled into each other after losing control due to a slippery road amid a downpour.

Rescue 1122 said that their teams are working to aid the injured while the severely injured are being shifted to hospitals in Wah Cantt and Taxila.

As per Met Department, Shamsabad received up to 188 millimetres of rainfall. It poured up to 129 milimetres in Bokra, 102 in Golra, 93 milimetres in H-8 area, 72 milimetres in Chaklala, and 37 milimetres in Saidpur.

The water level in Nullah Lai near Katarian swelled to 14 feet and 11 feet near Gawalmandi due to incessant rains, with army troops called in for rain emergency services.

Authorities rang sirens of threat to alert the residents in the surroundings and advised them to stay cautious. Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 has also been alerted in Rawalpindi.

Punjab CM orders water drainage from low lying areas

Taking the risks into account, Punjab’s interim Chiuef Minister Mohsin Naqvi directed the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials to drain rainwater accumulated in the low lying areas of Rawalpindi.

He ordered emergency steps to be taken in this regard and a progress report should be submitted in the CM office.

Meanwhile, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi was also put on high alert to cope with urban flooding while a rain emergency was declared directing the residents settled along Nullah Lai and in low-lying areas to move to safer places, WASA managing director said.

He said that WASA personnel were deployed in different city areas along with heavy machinery, particularly at low-lying areas including Raja Bazar, Bohar Bazar, Jamia Masjid Road, Murree Road, Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony, Sadiqabad, Satellite Town and other areas.

Water level in Nallah Lai was being monitored regularly, he added.

Pakistan thanks UAE for $1 billion deposit with SBP

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for $1 billion deposit with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in a telephonic conversation on Tuesday.

“The prime minister conveyed profound gratitude for His Highness’ firm support for the economic and financial stability of Pakistan which certainly manifested His Highness deep affection and care for the welfare of the people of Pakistan,” read a statement issued by the PM Office.

Last week, the UAE deposited $1 billion to the central bank’s account as part of its financial commitment to help Pakistan secure the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.

The Washington-based lender last week approved a 9-month SBA for Pakistan for an amount of about $3 billion days after reaching a staff-level agreement with the country.

“Today, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a 9-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Pakistan for an amount of SDR2,250 million (about $3 billion, or 111 percent of quota) to support the authorities’ economic stabilization program,” the global lender said in a statement.

Recalling his successful visit to UAE in January, the official statement said prime minister reiterated the common resolve of leadership in both countries to translate the fraternal bonds into mutually rewarding economic ties.

He also conveyed gratitude to His Highness for kind invitation for COP28 and appreciated UAE’s role in combating climate change. PM Shehbaz also expressed satisfaction on the discussion about prospective solutions to climate change challenges held during COP28 President-designate visit to Pakistan on 6th July 2023.

“Both the leaders discussed further advancing economic, trade and investment ties and creation of greater opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in the UAE,” the statement added.

The two sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Pakistan and UAE have a history of close relationship characterized by mutual trust and understanding, close cooperation, and an abiding tradition of supporting each other.

The UAE is home to 1.7 million Pakistanis, contributing to the progress, prosperity and economic development of the two brotherly countries.

Indian opposition parties form alliance called ‘INDIA’ for 2024 elections

The decision was announced at the end of a two-day meeting of 26 parties in the southern city of Bengaluru.

Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the main opposition Congress party, said INDIA stood for “Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance”.

In a joint press conference held by opposition parties part of the alliance, Kharge said “together, we will solve many problems of the country,” according to Indian news website The Quint. The report further quoted him as saying that an 11-member coordination committee of the alliance would be set up soon.

“The next meeting will be held in Mumbai where the 11 committee members will be elected,” he said, adding that the panel and opposition leaders would also discuss and reach a consensus on seat-sharing in next year’s elections in the Mumbai meeting.

In a video of the occasion shared on the Congress party’s Twitter, he was seen hailing the alliance a “great achievement for us”.

“We have gathered here to save our democracy and the constitution. This is a collective fight against unemployment, inflation and other key issues that the country is dealing with.

“We will succeed in this fight,” he added.

 

Also speaking on the occasion, top Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said, “The fight is against the BJP and its ideology. This fight is between India and Narendra Modi.”

 

“This fight is not between two political formations but to defend the idea of India. If you will see history, you will find that nobody has been able to fight the idea of India. It’s a fight between the idea of India and Narendra Modi,” he was seen saying in videos shared by India’s ANI news agency.

 

Delhi-based NDTV mentioned in a report that the opposition alliance’s decision sets what Gandhi “called a ‘Modi versus INDIA’ battle for the 2024 general elections”.

The opposition alliance’s announcement coincided with a meeting of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Delhi.

“The NDA meeting in the national capital will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting of the National Democratic Alliance is being organised to mark the completion of 9 years of the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” reported India’s Mint prior to the meeting.

ANI said in an update on Twitter that the NDA meeting would “chalk out a joint strategy to take on opposition alliance ‘INDIA’ in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls”.

Saudi Arabia signs deal for Turkish drones during Erdogan visit

Several contracts, including the drone deal with the privately-owned Baykar, were signed during a meeting between Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Red Sea port of Jeddah on Monday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of the drone manufacturer which is co-run by one of Erdogan’s sons-in-laws, in a tweet called the deal “the biggest defence and aviation export contract in the history of the Turkish Republic”.

The value of the deal has not been made public.

Drones developed by firm Baykar have been used in Azerbaijan, Libya and Ukraine

Erdogan, who in May elections won another five-year term, was in Saudi Arabia to kick off a Gulf tour seeking to drum up support for Turkiye’s faltering economy.

After attending a Saudi-Turkish business forum in Jeddah on Monday, Erdogan and Prince Mohammed discussed “prospects for joint cooperation” in their meeting, SPA reported.

The two leaders signed cooperation agreements in the fields of energy, direct investment, defence and media, the report said.

It added that Saudi officials also signed “two contracts with the Turkish company Baykar”.

Drones developed by Baykar have been used in Azerbaijan, Libya and Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia “will acquire drones with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom’s armed forces and bolstering its defence and manufacturing capabilities”, Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on Tuesday.

He did not specify the type of drone the kingdom is looking to procure.

An Arab diplomat in Riyadh, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the press, said it was Baykar’s TB2 model.

North Korea is reported to have detained a serving US army soldier who crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea without permission.

The man was on an organised tour of the UN-run zone dividing the two countries.

The crisis comes during a particularly tense time with the North, one of the world’s most isolated states. The US tells its citizens not to go there.

A senior US commander said there had been no contact with the soldier.

Admiral John Aquilino Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command said he was “not tracking” contact with North Korea. He said the soldier had acted willingly by “making a run” but without authorisation, and the incident was being investigated by US Forces Korea.

Hours after the soldier’s detention, North Korea launched two suspected ballistic missiles into the nearby sea.

The missile launch, which has been confirmed by South Korea’s military, comes as tensions run high on the Korean peninsula. There has been no suggestion that the launch is tied to the soldier’s detention.

It is unclear if the man has defected to North Korea or hopes to return. There has been no word yet from the North.

The Pentagon has identified the soldier as Private 2nd Class (PV2) Travis King. In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson said that PV2 King had been in the army since January 2021.

He is a cavalry scout – a reconnaissance specialist – originally assigned to an element of the army’s 1st Armoured Division on a rotation with the US military in South Korea.

The Associated Press reports that PV2 King was apparently facing disciplinary action after being held in South Korea on assault charges.

According to the BBC’s US partner CBS News, PV2 King passed through airport security in Seoul but somehow managed to leave the terminal and get on a tour of the border, from where he crossed over.

The American military has said he did so “wilfully and without authorisation”.

Watch: Pentagon concerned about welfare of captured soldier

An eyewitness on the same tour told CBS they had visited a building at the border site – reported by local media to be the truce village of Panmunjom – when “this man gives out a loud ‘ha ha ha’ and just runs in between some buildings”.

“I thought it was a bad joke at first but, when he didn’t come back, I realised it wasn’t a joke and then everybody reacted and things got crazy,” they said.

The United Nations Command, which operates the Demilitarised Zone and joint security area (JSA), said earlier its team had made contact with the North Korean military to try to negotiate his release.

“We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA [Korean People’s Army – North Korea’s military] counterparts to resolve this incident,” it said.

It is unclear where or in what conditions PV2 King is being held.

Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Washington DC-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, told the BBC that North Korean authorities were likely to “try pump information out of him” about his military service and “try to coerce him into becoming a propaganda tool”.

The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separates the two Koreas and is one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world.

It is filled with landmines, surrounded by electric and barbed wire fencing and surveillance cameras. Armed guards are supposed to be on alert 24 hours a day.

The DMZ has separated the two countries since the Korean War in the 1950s, in which the US backed the South. The war ended with an armistice, meaning that the two sides are still technically at war.

Dozens of people try to escape North Korea every year, fleeing poverty and famine, but defections across the DMZ are extremely dangerous and rare. The country sealed its borders in 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and has yet to reopen them.

The last time a soldier defected at the JSA was in 2017, when a North Korean soldier drove a vehicle, then ran by foot across the military demarcation line, South Korea said at the time. The soldier was shot at 40 times, but survived.

Before the pandemic more than 1,000 people fled from North Korea to China every year, according to numbers released by the South Korean government.

The detention of the soldier presents a major foreign policy headache for US President Joe Biden. PV2 King is believed to be the only American citizen currently in North Korean custody. Six South Koreans remain in detention there.

Relations between the US and the North plummeted in 2017 after a US student who had been arrested a year earlier for stealing a propaganda sign was returned to the US in a comatose state and later died. His family blames the North Korean authorities for his death.

Three US citizens were later freed during Donald Trump’s presidency in 2018. But ultimately, a series of talks held between Kim Jong Un and the former US president did little to improve the relationship.

North Korea has since tested dozens of increasingly powerful missiles that could carry nuclear warheads, which have been met by a slew of sanctions by the US and its allies.

The detention of the US national comes on the same day as a US nuclear-capable submarine docked in South Korea for the first time since 1981.

The submarine was specifically supplied to help the country deal with the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. Ahead of its deployment there were threats of retaliation from the authorities in Pyongyang, which warned the US that sending nuclear weapons to the peninsula could spark a nuclear crisis.

Hours after PV2 King’s detention, South Korea’s military confirmed that two ballistic missiles were launched from North Korea and landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he is willing to consider proposals for Scotland to host at least part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The Australian state of Victoria cancelled its plan to stage the event due to soaring costs, raising doubts about whether it will go ahead at all.

Mr Yousaf said he was “really disappointed” by the news.

Ex-Commonwealth Games Scotland chairman Paul Bush has suggested the nation could be a joint-host for the event.

Commonwealth Games has ‘relevancy and scale’ issues
Commonwealth Games in doubt after Australian state cancels
Mr Yousaf said: “We were desperate for the games to go ahead in 2026 given that we know how excellent the preparations have been going for Team Scotland. It’s also an opportunity for us to compete under the Scottish banner.”

He added: “It’s early days. I’ve noted the comments from Paul Bush and Commonwealth Games Scotland, looking at and exploring the possibility of whether or not Scotland could be part of something bigger, part of a multi-city, multi-country host.

“Those are sensible ideas all worth exploring. We certainly couldn’t commit to anything at this stage.”

Scotland has previously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1970, 1986 and 2014.

On calls for those events to be repeated, the first minister said: “I’ve asked my team to explore whether that’s a possibility or not.

“It may be difficult but let’s see what the art of the possible is.”

Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014
Commonwealth Games Scotland said it was “shocked” by the announcement from Victoria with preparations well under way for the 2026 event.

“The games is the only opportunity for many athletes to compete under the Scottish flag, and we know how much that means to them, our sports and supporters,” it said in a statement.

“We share their disappointment with today’s announcement and recognise the uncertainty it creates for all parties.”

The organisation said it was awaiting an update from the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Eilish’s win last year emulated her mother Liz’s success in 1986 and 1990

Eilish McColgan took gold in the women’s 10,000m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
The event was last held in Birmingham in 2022, with Eilish McColgan’s 10,000m victory the highlight during a games of historic success for Team Scotland.

First held in 1930, the Commonwealth Games have only ever been cancelled during World War Two.

The latest cost projection for the 2026 event had risen to more than A$6 billion (£3.13bn), according to organisers, who said the new figure was more than twice the estimated economic benefit it would bring to Victoria.

The total cost of the 2014 games in Glasgow was about £543 million, according to the government figures.

GB elects its first female deputy speaker

Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed a wave of change in its legislature as its first female deputy speaker was elected unopposed Monday.

Sadia Danish, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and nominee of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), assumed the position following consensus among her party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) forward bloc, which supported her nomination.

The process of electing the GB assembly’s deputy speaking concluded on Monday after Danish was elected unopposed. She later took the oath of the office, administered by Speaker Nazeer Advocate, who presided over the assembly’s 22nd session.

The PTI, on the other hand, did not submit nomination papers for the spot. They had earlier removed its speaker by bringing a no-confidence motion against him and made its deputy speaker as speaker of the GB assembly.

The assembly’s session, ahead of the landmark development, was presided over by the speaker.

Danish was a member of the GB legislative assembly from 2009 to 2014 and was also part of the GB cabinet.

She was also a former minister for information, tourism, sports and culture. She was also the PPP’s secretary of information and a member of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW).

Gul Bar Khan — new GB CM

Last week, PTI forward bloc leader Gul Bar Khan was elected as GB’s new chief minister, days after controversy marred the top post’s polls.

Khan, who received 19 votes of the 20 members present in the house, was elected unopposed as three other candidates vying for the post withdrew their nomination papers.

An independent lawmaker, Nawaz Khan Naji, abstained from voting, with PPP and PML-N parliamentarians backing the new chief minister.

All 11 members of the PTI’s ‘like-minded group’ boycotted the polling, claiming rigging.

Army top brass terms TTP sanctuaries in Afghanistan major reason ‘impacting Pakistan’s security’

The top brass of the Pakistan Army has said that sanctuaries and liberty of action available to terrorists of proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major reasons impacting the security of Pakistan.

The statement comes after the 258th Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) presided over by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Monday.

 

 

“The sanctuaries and liberty of action available to the terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in a neighbouring country and availability of latest weapons to the terrorists were noted as major reasons impacting the security of Pakistan,” read the statement issued by the military’s media wing.

The participants were briefed in detail about the prevailing Internal security environment and paid rich tribute to the supreme sacrifices persistently being offered by the valiant soldiers in the defence of their motherland against the threat of terrorism, the ISPR added.

The forum deliberated in detail upon the operational preparedness and training aspects of the army.

“Objective training remains the hallmark of our professionalism and we must always remain prepared to guard against any threat to our national security,” the ISPR quoted Gen Munir as saying.

Last week, the Pakistan Army said it was seriously concerned that militants had found safe havens in the neighbouring nation and threatened to take an “effective response” two days after 12 of its soldiers embraced martyrdom in two attacks.

In the statement, the ISPR said that said it is expected that the interim Afghan government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in the Doha agreement.

“The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed,” the statement emphasised.

Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan, the ISPR statement added.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following Afghan Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the TTP responsible for cross-border attacks.

Terror activities in the country have soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.

Army vows all-out support for economic revival

In the same huddle, the ISPR said top commanders were also apprised about the government’s economic revival plan and the role of the army in uplifting agriculture, IT, mining and mineral and defence production sectors under the ambit of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

The participants vowed to fully support the strategic initiatives planned by the government for the revival of the economy by providing all possible technical and management support for the overall good of the people of Pakistan, it added.

Last month, the federal government unveiled an elaborate ‘Economic Revival Plan’ with a view to capitalise on Pakistan’s untapped potential in key sectors, fast-track the development projects and facilitate investment.

General Munir was included to a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) formed by PM Shehbaz for economic revival.

The military’s inclusion in the body — led by the PM and also comprising federal ministers — is aimed at complementing the government’s efforts to deal with economic challenges facing the country.

Turkey’s Erdogan arrives in Saudi Arabia on first leg of three-nation Gulf tour

Aimed at attracting foreign investment to strengthen Turkey’s economy, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his three-country Gulf trip on Monday.

The Turkish president will meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah before leaving for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar later this week.

Ahead of embarking on the Gulf trip, Erdogan said: “During our visits, our primary agenda will be joint investment and commercial activities with these countries in the upcoming period.”

The Turkish president said bilateral trade with Gulf countries has increased from $1.6 billion to approximately $22 billion over the past 20 years, AFP reported.

“With the business forums to be organised, we will look for ways to move this figure much further,” Erdogan said.

The visit is his second to Saudi Arabia since a recent rapprochement. Ties between the two countries were strained by the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.

Turkey angered Saudi Arabia by vigorously pursuing the case at the time, opening an investigation and briefing international media on the gory details of the killing.

But with ties on the mend, Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April 2022, and Prince Mohammed went to Turkey in June last year.

Erdogan’s new Saudi trip comes as Turkey battles a currency devaluation and soaring inflation that has battered its economy.

The two countries will sign several accords during Erdogan’s trip as Ankara looks to non-Western partners for financial support, a senior Saudi official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the press.

Erdogan’s Gulf tour will be followed by a trip to northern Cyprus which Turkey invaded and occupied in 1974, and comes after his re-election in May for another five-year term.

“Erdogan’s visit to the Gulf after the critical elections held in Turkey itself reflects the importance of the Gulf states in the Turkish foreign policy agenda,” Sinem Cengiz, a researcher at Qatar University, told AFP.

“Growing Gulf interest in investing in diverse sectors is a boost for Turkey, which is trying to increase exports to help ease its economic problems,” said the expert on Gulf-Turkish relations.

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