Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Cairo last week underscored a shared Egyptian-Turkish determination to cooperate in safeguarding regional security and stability, with several political analysts hailing the trip as a turning point in bilateral relations.
“We are seeing a carefully planned strategic move that will allow Cairo and Ankara to deal with several pressing regional issues,” said Tarek Fahmi, a political science professor at Cairo University.
The top priority for both countries is Gaza, he said. “Both Cairo and Ankara are confirming their presence in any settlement of that issue, a fact that annoys Israel, which has also expressed its discomfort with Turkish involvement in Gaza’s reconstruction,” he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The two states seem to see eye to eye regarding the Palestinian cause, with both calling for a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state in the pre-June 1967 borders.
During the visit, Erdogan met with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and witnessed the signing of several new partnership deals. Ministers from both countries signed 18 agreements in the fields of defence, tourism, health, and agriculture.
The second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between the two countries was also held during the visit and was co-chaired by the two leaders. The first meeting was held in Ankara in 2014.
At the end of their meeting, the two leaders issued a joint declaration in which they noted the positive momentum achieved in bilateral relations in recent years and affirmed their determination to strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional forums in support of global efforts aimed at addressing common challenges, including international peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, environmental protection, and food security.
Egypt and Turkey’s cooperation is essential in the East Mediterranean region regardless of who is and who is not a member in the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), Fahmi said.
Egypt is trying to settle differences in the region, notably the historic difference between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus, he added. Turkey does not recognise the Greek part of Cyprus. Egypt holds regular meetings with both Greece and Cyprus, Fahmi said.
The three countries have established a tripartite mechanism for cooperation and hold regular tripartite summits. The 10th and latest was held in Cairo in January last year, during which the three countries reiterated their commitment to the stability and security of the region.
Integrating Turkey into this cooperation formula will not be easy, but it can be done gradually with the help of Egypt, Fahmi said.
Libya is another area of cooperation, especially after Egypt’s defining the border between Sirte and Al-Jufra and this being acceptable to Turkey.
Earlier the two countries had been at odds in Libya. Relations began to thaw as Libya moved towards a UN-backed political process, fighting subsided, and Egypt and Turkey gradually opened channels of dialogue.
The return of Egyptian and Turkish firms to Libya over the past few years is an indication on the ground of how useful cooperation can be in Libya as well as on other regional issues.
Tukey and Egypt could also closely coordinate on the territorial integrity of Sudan and Somalia to prevent further divisions in the region, Fahmi said, especially as the situation in Sudan is very volatile and Egypt will be taking part in peacekeeping forces in Somalia.
Al-Sisi said in the joint press conference held after his meeting with Erdogan that both countries want to see a “humanitarian truce that leads to a ceasefire and a comprehensive political path” in Sudan, Fahmi noted.
The two countries have also backed the government of Somalia and condemned Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Erdogan’s visit comes at a critical time as Egypt and Turkey work to de-escalate tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Last month, Ankara suggested that it could mediate between Tehran and Washington. Erdogan told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that Turkey was ready to assume a mediating role between Iran and the US to de-escalate tensions and resolve differences.
Egypt has supported the Turkish mediation despite Israeli reservations. Talks were held late last week in the Omani capital Muscat.
During his press conference with Erdogan, Al-Sisi called for further efforts to avoid escalation in the region, advance diplomatic solutions, and “avert the spectre of war, whether regarding the Iranian nuclear issue or the region in general.”
Erdogan reiterated the need for diplomacy and warned that foreign interference poses “significant risks to the entire region” and that dialogue remains the most appropriate method for addressing disputes with Iran.
“Egypt is coordinating with Turkey on an Arab-regional strategy in the Gulf that can face up to any developments or changes that may take place,” Fahmi said.
On the economic level, the diplomatic thaw in relations has led to an economic leap forward. Bilateral trade has surged from $5 billion in 2013 to approximately $9 billion at present. Within the framework of the Strategic Cooperation Council, the two countries aim to reach a $15 billion trade target within the coming few years.
Erdogan arrived in Cairo after a stop in the Saudi capital Riyadh. His first visit to Egypt was in 2024 as tensions in relations between Cairo and Ankara eased after a decade of estrangement caused by Ankara’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt has designated as a terrorist group.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 12 February, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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