Turkey's Erdogan runs soccer diplomacy with UAE, Libya at Champions League final

ANKARA, DUBAI — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan engaged in apparent sports diplomacy on the sidelines of the Champions League final held in Istanbul over the weekend, hosting United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

The Emirati president, often referred to by his initials MBZ, is the first foreign head of state Erdogan hosted one-on-one following his June 3 inauguration, which was attended by dozens of world leaders. The Emirati leader’s one-day working visit to Istanbul on Saturday saw the two discussing bilateral ties, watching a soccer game together and walking hand-in-hand after dining at an Istanbul restaurant.

“We discussed ways to further strengthen economic cooperation and the strategic partnership between our two nations, and ways to promote regional stability towards a prosperous future for all,” the Emirati president wrote on Twitter.

The Turkish presidency said the two leaders met at an Istanbul airport upon the UAE president’s arrival but gave no further details. A video released by the Turkish presidency showed them hugging on the tarmac, where Erdogan gifted his Emirati counterpart Turkey’s first locally manufactured electric car the Togg.