Cairo and Ankara are moving to deepen military and defense cooperation, a key focus of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Egypt on Wednesday.
Analysts told Asharq Al-Awsat that the growing partnership aims to restore Egyptian-Turkish influence by reshaping regional power balances, particularly amid concerns over expanding Israeli influence, which they say increasingly threatens the interests of both countries.
The latest step was a military cooperation agreement signed in Cairo in the presence of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Erdogan. The deal was signed by Egypt’s Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Abdel Mageed Saqr, and Türkiye’s Minister of National Defense, Yasar Guler.
Military ties between Egypt and Türkiye have expanded steadily since 2023, following the full restoration of diplomatic relations and reciprocal presidential visits. This rapprochement has extended into the defense industry, with the two countries recently resuming joint military exercises under the name “Sea of Friendship.”
They have also agreed to cooperate on the joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles, while Cairo has joined Türkiye’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet program, KAAN.
Bashir Abdel Fattah, an Egyptian academic specializing in international relations, said defense cooperation between the two countries covers several areas. The first involves regular joint exercises aimed at enhancing combat readiness and exchanging military expertise.
The second centers on joint defense manufacturing, including advanced systems such as air defense, missiles, ammunition, drones, and potentially fighter aircraft.
A third dimension, he added, lies in security and intelligence cooperation, particularly through information sharing in counterterrorism efforts, combating piracy in the Mediterranean, and coordination on regional issues such as Libya and Sudan.
Egyptian national security expert Major General Mohamed Abdel Wahid said both countries are keen to strengthen ties because they face similar challenges, including shifting regional power balances and the emergence of new actors.
He argued that these changes have made it necessary for Egypt and Türkiye to reassert their influence, especially in response to Israel’s growing role, prompting a focus on building joint defense capabilities.
Abdel Wahid noted that Türkiye has shown flexibility in transferring technology, without putting strict political conditions often imposed by Western countries or the European Union.
He added that a Turkish company has already been established in Cairo and will cooperate with Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization.
At the Egypt Defense Expo (EDEX 2025) in Cairo, Bayraktar drones were displayed bearing the Egyptian flag.
Egypt and Türkiye also signed an agreement last August to jointly produce vertical takeoff and landing drones, while production of unmanned ground vehicles has begun through a partnership between the Turkish company Havelsan and Egypt’s Kader Factory.
Türkiye’s defense electronics firm Aselsan recently announced the opening of a regional office in Egypt, describing the move as a “new chapter” in expanding cooperation and providing direct, on-the-ground support to Egyptian partners.
