Bolstering Partnerships: Turkey and Egypt Set to Forge Stronger Military Ties
The Turkish Defense Ministry has expressed its expectation for the advancement of military and defense alliances with Egypt in the upcoming period, emphasizing that the visit of General Osama Askar, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, to Ankara signifies a new era in the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
TRT Haber, citing Turkish Defense Ministry media advisor Zafer Aktok, reported that “The Egyptian Chief of Staff Askar held discussions with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of General Staff Metin Gürak.”
Aktok mentioned that the Egyptian Chief of Staff also visited various Turkish defense manufacturing enterprises during his time in Ankara.
He stated, “We anticipate an expansion of relations between our nations in the near future.” Previously, Egyptian military spokesperson Ghrib Abdel Hafiz confirmed that both parties had asserted their goals to strengthen military collaboration during their discussions.
He further highlighted that they discussed military cooperation, regional and international crises “affecting the national security of both nations, and aligning viewpoints towards them.”
He elaborated that the Egyptian Chief of Staff conducted a tour encompassing several companies, including Baykar, the creator of Bayraktar drones, and also paid a visit to the Turkish army’s special operations headquarters.
It is noteworthy to mention that last February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid his first visit to Egypt since his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office, where Sisi warmly received the Turkish president to initiate a new chapter in the relations between the two nations.
Relations between Egypt and Turkey have been experiencing improvement since the handshake between Erdogan and Sisi during the FIFA World Cup opening in Qatar in 2022, followed by another meeting at the G20 summit in New Delhi last September, where both sides agreed on strengthening ties and collaboration, uplifting the diplomatic relationship level, and exchanging ambassadors.
Following Erdogan’s visit to Cairo, preparations are currently underway for a scheduled visit by Sisi to Ankara.
