Egypt’s Greece, Cyprus Partnerships Do Not Hinder Ties With Türkiye

Egypt's deepening cooperation with Türkiye, which now extends to defense and military coordination, is prompting scrutiny regarding its potential effects on Cairo's strategic partnership with Greece and Cyprus, established in 2014. This development occurs amidst ongoing disputes between Türkiye and Athens and Nicosia over maritime boundaries and energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Egyptian experts acknowledge the challenge of balancing these regional relationships. However, they emphasize that the recent rapprochement between Egypt and Türkiye is not adversarial towards Cyprus or Greece. Instead, they suggest it could potentially serve the interests of all parties involved, with Egypt aiming to mediate and foster dialogue.

The strategic partnership between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus was formalized in 2014 through a trilateral cooperation mechanism, initiated when relations between Cairo and Ankara were severely strained. At that time, Egypt's pivot towards partnerships with Greece and Cyprus was seen by some as a move to counterbalance Türkiye.

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Egypt stressed on all occasions and in its meetings with Türkiye, Greece and Cyprus that there was no way to resolve their disputes except through dialogue and negotiation.

The latest step in the Egypt-Türkiye engagement was the signing of a letter of intent on defense cooperation during the Egyptian Defense Minister's visit to Ankara. This followed President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's visit to Ankara in May, during which he was serving as defense minister. Meanwhile, a Greek newspaper noted that while the Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement does not directly threaten Greek interests, it fuels concerns amid broader regional geopolitical shifts.

Rakha Ahmed Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, reiterated Egypt's stance that disputes can only be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. "Egypt seeks to maintain a balance in its relations with the three countries," Hassan told Asharq Al-Awsat, highlighting Egypt's role in navigating these complex regional dynamics.

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Egypt seeks to maintain a balance in its relations with the three countries.