An invitation from the palace: Erdogan opens his doors to Mohamed Salah and his family

A striking thing

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has extended a special invitation to Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, the Trabzonspor player, to visit the presidential palace in the capital Ankara. It's a step that opens the door to an anticipated meeting between the Turkish president and one of the biggest names in Egyptian football.

According to the Turkish website "61 Saat" on Friday, Erdogan asked to arrange a meeting with Salah at the earliest opportunity, hoping to host him and his family at the presidential palace. The idea came after he enquired during his meeting with Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan about the possibility of sitting down privately with the Egyptian.

Dogan's visit to the Turkish president sparked the invitation. Salah's file came up during the talks, and the matter quickly turned into a direct offer from Erdogan to welcome the Egyptian star and his family at the presidential palace.

Should it happen, the meeting will draw huge interest in Egypt and Turkey. Salah enjoys enormous popularity in both countries, and hosting him at the presidential palace would mark a striking occasion that underlines just how much he matters.