Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will arrive in Ankara on June 22 for his first visit to Turkey, as the two regional heavyweights continue their efforts to mend ties after the killing of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.

The crown prince will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the final leg of his Middle East tour, which will also include trips to Egypt and Jordan. His visit comes ahead of US President Joe Biden‘s visit to the region next month.
Erdogan said the talks with the prince, commonly known as MBS, would focus on taking Turkey-Saudi relations to a higher level. Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia in April, his first since 2017, a year after Saudi agents killed Khashoggi at the country’s consulate in Istanbul.

Turkey’s efforts to improve relations with Saudi Arabia come as Turkey faces its worst economic crisis in two decades and tries to attract investment from the wealthy Gulf Arab state. Turkey has also taken steps to improve relations with the UAE, Egypt and Israel.

Negotiations with UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan late last year resulted in a $10 billion investment deal after years of regional competition. For its part, Saudi Arabia has struggled to expand its alliance amid tensions between Riyadh and Washington.

The crown prince has also sought to end the scandal surrounding Khashoggi’s killing, which has damaged his reputation. Turkey was absent from 26 Saudis over the alleged killing of Khashoggi. Still, earlier this year, a court ruled to halt the proceedings and transfer the case to Saudi Arabia, paving the way for a reconciliation between the two countries.

According to US intelligence assessments, Khashoggi’s death sparked global outrage and pressure on the prince, who is said to have approved the killing or capture of Khashoggi. The prince denies having any knowledge of the operation performed by the agents working directly for him.

Although Erdogan never named Prince Mohammed, he said the killing of Khashoggi was ordered at the highest levels of the Saudi government. Khashoggi entered the consulate by appointment in October 2018 to obtain documents allowing him to marry his Turkish fiance, who was waiting outside for him. He never showed up, and his body was never found.