ANKARA: The second round of political consultations between Turkey and Egypt began in the capital Ankara on Tuesday.

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and his Egyptian counterpart Hamdi Sanad Loza are leading their respective delegations, said a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

Noting that bilateral matters were addressed during the first day of talks, the statement said, the delegations are expected to exchange views on regional matters on the second day of talks on Wednesday.

“The parties aim to advance and normalize relations on the basis of mutual benefit,” it added.

On May 5, a Turkish delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal visited Cairo at Egypt’s invitation. At the end of the visit, the two countries issued a joint statement describing the exploratory round of bilateral talks between them as “frank and in-depth.”

Both Cairo and Ankara have shown positive signs in recent months, including with statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the possibility of the two countries negotiating to demarcate their maritime borders in the Eastern Mediterranean.

On May 7, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of a new phase in relations with Egypt, stressing that the talks would continue, develop and expand.

Turkey-Egypt ties have continued at the level of charge d’affairs since 2013. During this period, brief meetings were held between the foreign ministers of the two countries on various occasions.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Embassy in Cairo and consulate in Alexandria, as well as the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara and consulate in Istanbul, have continued their usual activities.