Egypt and Turkey deepen military ties with joint drills and defense cooperation agreements

Military relations between Egypt and Turkey have entered a new phase of accelerated cooperation, marked by intensive joint training, high-level visits, and agreements to expand their defense partnership.

A significant development was the official visit of Egyptian Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher to Ankara. During his talks with Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, they focused on enhancing military cooperation in training, knowledge sharing, and defense industries. The visit culminated in the signing of a letter of intent to institutionalize their military ties, marking the first such visit by an Egyptian defense minister to Turkey since 2013.

The discussions also extended to boosting defense industry partnerships, with meetings held with the head of the Turkish Defense Industry Agency (SSB). A letter of intent was signed between the SSB and the Egyptian Military Intelligence Department to foster cooperation in this sector. The Egyptian delegation also toured Turkish defense companies to observe their latest military technologies.

Haluk Görgün, President of the Turkish Defense Industry Agency, stated that the letter of intent will establish a framework for future bilateral cooperation, emphasizing its contribution to regional security and mutual capabilities. This follows recent high-level joint military committee meetings in Cairo, where both sides discussed expanding collaboration and signed minutes outlining joint activities in training, technology transfer, and expertise exchange.

Operationally, Egyptian and Turkish forces have conducted several joint military maneuvers. These include the 'Golden Eagle' exercise, involving Egyptian paratroopers and commandos with Turkish special forces, and joint aerial exercises. The Egyptian Air Force also participated in Turkey's 'Anatolian Eagle 2026' exercise alongside Azerbaijan and a NATO unit.

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the letter of intent will define the framework for future bilateral cooperation. He emphasized that partnering in the defense sector will contribute to regional security and strengthen the mutual capabilities of both nations.