Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday in the first high-level visit in years which he hopes will herald a new era of relations after intense efforts to repair strained ties.

Erdogan met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in an official ceremony at the al-Salam palace in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the ceremony before having a one-on-one meeting with Erdogan, Ankara's communication office said on Twitter.

Erdogan's visit, which his office said was at the invitation of the Saudi king, marks the culmination of a months-long drive to mend ties that included dropping a trial over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018.

(Cover: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2022. /Reuters)