ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday received Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi in Ankara for dialogue, Turkish media reported.
However, no further detail was shared regarding the closed-door meeting held at the presidential complex between President Erdogan and Wang Yi.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in capital Ankara for talks https://t.co/hPqtRj0t5K pic.twitter.com/vOB6QTneZK
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) July 26, 2023
Turkish President, Chinese FM Discuss Global Issues
Earlier, the Chinese FM met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss bilateral ties, regional and global affairs.
Diplomatic ties between Ankara and Beijing were established in 1971. Bilateral ties were also elevated to the level of “strategic cooperation” in 2010, Turkish media reported.
On Tuesday, the Chinese government removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was not seen in public for several weeks, and reappointed Wang Yi as Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Chinese government had remained tight-lipped about Qin’s whereabouts, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously cited “health reasons” to explain his absence. However, this explanation failed to quell the flood of rumors circulating online, some of which suggested that Qin might be under investigation due to an alleged affair with a prominent television anchor.
Qin Gang’s absence from the public had sparked speculations that he, considered a confidant of Chinese President Xi Jinping, had fallen from grace or was subject to probe.
