Turkey’s Erdogan visits Tunisia for surprise talks with new president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Tunisia on Wednesday in a surprise visit for talks with his counterpart, in the first visit by a head of state since Tunisian presidential elections in the autumn, Reuters said.

The visit comes as Turkey has ramped up efforts to strike deals with nations on the Mediterranean, where Ankara has been at odds with Greece over resources off the coast of the divided island of Cyprus.

Last month, Turkey signed a maritime delimitation agreement with Libya’s internationally recognized government, a move that enraged Greece.

Erdogan’s office said the president was accompanied by his foreign and defense ministers, as well as his intelligence chief. The visit is the first by a head of state to Tunisia since the election of President Kais Saied in October.