Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) talks next to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissiduring a bilateral signature agreements ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, on September 4, 2024. [Francisco Seco/AP]
Turkey and Egypt are moving to deepen their bilateral relationship in defense cooperation and the defense industry, underscored by agreements signed during the first visit in nearly 13 years by Egypt’s minister of defense and military production, Ashraf Salem Zaher, to Ankara at the invitation of Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler.
The visit was accompanied by the signing of a memorandum of understanding aimed at closer defense cooperation. Egypt’s defense minister, who also oversees military production and the country’s defense industry, visited Turkey’s Secretariat of Defense Industries (SSB), whose head, Haluk Gorgun, also participated in bilateral meetings.
According to announced plans, Turkey has offered cooperation in unmanned systems, armored vehicles, warships, electronic warfare and ammunition production.
For Athens, the growing Turkish-Egyptian rapprochement is not yet directly threatening Greek interests but adds to concerns amid broader regional geopolitical shifts.
