Türkiye and Egypt turn new chapter in their relations, say experts

On September 4, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi visited Ankara for an official trip - his first since taking office ten years ago.

Sisi was invited by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had received his Egyptian counterpart at the airport’s tarmac under the spotlight of international media.

The two economic and military powerhouses in the region were at loggerheads over multiple issues. But in recent years, they have worked to iron out the differences. Experts say that Sisi’s visit is a turning point in those efforts.

"The existing issues between Türkiye and Egypt present both opportunities and challenges. If these challenges are overcome—something this meeting suggests is possible—we could witness a new period of close cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt," Kaan Devecioglu, Coordinator for North African Studies at Ankara-based Turkish think-tank ORSAM, tells TRT World.

The leaders co-chaired the first High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries and signed 17 agreements in various fields.

In a joint news conference, Erdogan said the two sides reaffirmed their will to "advance cooperation in all areas.” Sisi said his visit, which followed the Turkish president's trip to Cairo in February, "paves the way for a new phase in economic and trade relations."

A renewed focus on trade

Ankara and Cairo plan to increase their bilateral trade volume from $10 billion to $15 billion within a few years.

Murat Yigit, a political scientist at the National Defence University in Istanbul, says that since Israel declared war on Gaza in October, “a deep commercial security crisis broke out in the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.”

Egypt witnessed a decline in its income, and Cairo has moved to diversify trading partners, which has played a part in rapprochement with Ankara, he says.

Security is also a major driving force behind the Türkiye-Egypt rapprochement, says Yigit.

“Regional tensions, especially the occupation of Gaza, migration, border control, smuggling, and terrorism,” have compelled Cairo to mend relations with Ankara—one of the leading defence industry suppliers “for almost the entire African continent.”

And this is where the Turkish defence industry comes into focus.

Devecioglu pointed out that Turkish defence companies attracted significant attention at the Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX) in Cairo last December, and noted that the trade of security equipment between the two countries would most likely intensify in the coming years.

“Trade agreements are considered more valuable for the time being, but this partnership will have more lasting results in the field of defence and security,” Yigit concluded.

Defence cooperation was not among the 17 agreements signed during Sisi’s landmark meeting with President Erdogan.

A common stance on Palestine

Türkiye is among the countries that lambasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statement that alleged that weapons are being smuggled from Egypt to Gaza. Egypt’s Rafah city shares a border with the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza have killed at least 40,861 people and wounded over 94,398 others since October 7.

Yigit says the cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt “is not yet sufficient to end the occupation of Gaza, but it will be vital to ensure a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to reach the region.”

Türkiye is the top provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with a substantial portion of this aid being sent via Egypt.

Devecioglu notes that this underscores the potential for the two countries to collaborate more closely in addressing regional humanitarian crises.

"This cooperation could be seen as a positive step towards reducing tensions and contributing to the peace process in the region," Devecioglu adds.

Yigit takes this further, stressing that “Israel's plan to spread the war throughout the region can only be prevented through the Türkiye-Egypt partnership at the regional level.”

During their joint statement on Wednesday, Erdogan and Sisi called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to violence in the occupied West Bank.

The two sides further endorsed the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent and sovereign state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders.

Winds of change

Devecioglu says Egypt plays a key role in advancing Türkiye's regional strategy, not just in Gaza but also through its influence in the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.

Egypt previously had taken an issue with Türkiye’s claims in the Mediterranean Sea.

“But as regional instability spread, Egypt realised it could not protect its interests without Türkiye’s support,” Yigit tells TRT World.

Türkiye and Egypt have also agreed to increase energy cooperation, which could impact the ongoing search for oil and gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean basin.

As Ankara and Cairo mutually support energy exploration activities in the Mediterranean, their cooperation could include joint ventures in natural gas exploration and extraction, thus contributing to a more balanced energy policy in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"Egypt's potential to become a second production hub for Türkiye, given its strategic location and low energy costs, could bolster Türkiye's energy security and promote the use of Eastern Mediterranean energy resources in line with mutual interests," says Devecioglu.

He says that enhancing Türkiye and Egypt’s combined influence in Africa, coupled with the development of joint projects, would strengthen their positions on the global stage.

"Given Türkiye's recent emphasis on mediation in crisis resolution and diplomatic initiatives that enhance inter-state connectivity in its immediate geography, and positioning itself as an 'actor contributing to regional stability,' Türkiye's alignment with Egypt is crucial for regional stability," says Devecioglu.