Asharq al-Awsad, February 2026
The Egyptian-Turkish military agreement has emerged as a key pillar of expanding cooperation between the two countries, gaining fresh momentum after the joint declaration issued at the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Cairo earlier this month.
The meeting coincided with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Egypt and talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Türkiye’s ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Sen, told Asharq Al-Awsat that following the Feb. 4 council meeting, the two presidents signed a joint declaration and oversaw the signing of seven documents.
“This strengthened the contractual foundations of our bilateral cooperation across many fields, including military, investment and trade,” he said.
Sen added that the military framework agreement sets out structured cooperation through the exchange of information and expertise in specific areas, providing a legal basis for existing military ties.
Earlier this month, Egypt and Türkiye signed a military cooperation agreement between their defense ministries in Cairo, in the presence of Sisi and Erdogan. The move was followed by joint air force-level talks.
Egyptian Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Amr Saqr, meeting last week with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadioglu, stressed “the importance of coordinating efforts to achieve common interests,” and voiced hope for closer ties that would benefit both air forces.
Military ties have accelerated since 2023, when the two countries restored full diplomatic relations and exchanged presidential visits.
Cooperation has since expanded into the defense industry, with the resumption of joint “Sea of Friendship” exercises and an agreement on joint drone production.
Cairo has also joined Türkiye’s fifth-generation KAAN stealth fighter program.
Broadening cooperation
Beyond defense, Ankara and Cairo have moved quickly to deepen investment ties.
Sen pointed to efforts to improve the investment climate, localize production and transfer technology in priority sectors, describing these steps as central to the joint declaration on industrial cooperation.
“The Turkish-Egyptian partnership is advancing on the basis of mutual benefit,” he said. “Our goal is to jointly enhance security, stability, development and prosperity for the benefit of all countries in the region.”
He added that Sisi and Erdogan place high importance on initiatives that contribute to the welfare, stability and security of the region’s peoples.
Both countries are targeting $15 billion in bilateral trade by 2028. “The necessary resources, capabilities and political will are now available on both sides,” Sen said, pledging continued efforts to accelerate progress toward that goal.
At the trade level, he described the joint ministerial declaration by the two countries’ trade ministers as a vision document aimed at strengthening cooperation in trade, investment and industry. High-level trade consultations will be held regularly, forming the institutional mechanism for cooperation built on the free trade agreement.
Medical partnership
Medical cooperation has also gained traction.
Following talks last week on establishing the “Egyptian Medical City,” Sen said the two sides reached a comprehensive agreement on exchanging expertise within the framework of reforms and advances in Türkiye’s health sector.
He noted Egypt’s particular interest in medical city hospitals developed under Türkiye’s public-private partnership model, which has been implemented successfully. “Türkiye fully supports Egypt’s medical city project and is open to all forms of cooperation,” he said.
Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met last week with a delegation from Turkish firm YDA to discuss technical mechanisms for implementing the “Capital Medical City,” launched last month in the New Administrative Capital east of Cairo.
The project includes hospitals, medical institutes and universities specializing in medical sciences and technology.
Regional alignment
Alongside expanding bilateral ties, coordination on regional issues has intensified.
Sen said consultation and coordination between Egypt and Türkiye on regional files have seen marked progress, arguing that closer cooperation between “two strong regional states” with deep-rooted traditions and a strong sense of responsibility would bolster stability and prosperity at a time of serious regional challenges.
The joint declaration devoted significant attention to regional positions, highlighting alignment on the Palestinian issue and stressing the need to safeguard the territorial integrity of Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Libya and Sudan.
The two sides also condemned unilateral Israeli measures that violate the sovereignty of Syria and Lebanon and disregard international law.
Egypt and Türkiye maintain consistent support for the Palestinian cause, Sen said, adding that both countries clearly oppose agendas that fuel instability, divide regional states and create polarization.