Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for closed-door talks in New York on Monday. The meeting took place at the Turkevi Center, also known as the Turkish House, located across from United Nations headquarters. Anadolu Agency reported that the crown prince was in the city to lead Kuwait’s delegation to the high-level General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which opened this week.
The encounter reflects the steady pace of high-level contacts between the two countries. Erdogan and the crown prince last met on the sidelines of a previous UN General Assembly gathering. Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah conveyed greetings from Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during his New York visit, which has included talks with several other world leaders.
Kuwait and Türkiye established diplomatic relations in 1969, with embassies opening the following year, according to Kuwait News Agency archives. The partnership has grown through shared cultural and historical bonds that have supported cooperation on multiple fronts. KUNA figures show the ties have deepened via reciprocal visits and agreements that span political dialogue, trade and security matters.
The Kuwaiti Amir’s trip to Ankara in May 2024 produced several memorandums of understanding covering strategic dialogue, free zone development, housing projects, infrastructure and investment promotion, a KUNA dispatch detailed. During that visit President Erdogan presented the Amir with the Order of the State medal. Such steps have helped broaden the scope of bilateral engagement in recent years.
Defense cooperation forms a notable part of the relationship. In June 2023 Kuwait signed a $367 million deal with Türkiye for Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles, according to KUNA records. The transaction underscored growing links in the defense industry that complement economic and political coordination. Trade volumes have also risen steadily as both sides work to expand investment flows.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Nationalist Movement Party deputy Ismail Ozdemir joined Erdogan for the New York meeting, Anadolu Agency said. The closed-door format allowed the delegations to review the full range of bilateral issues without public statements afterward. The crown prince’s participation in this year’s UN session continues a pattern in which Kuwait uses the annual gathering to advance its diplomatic priorities.
