Egypt and Turkey called for regional and international pressure to stop Israel’s decision to reoccupy the whole of the Gaza Strip this week following Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s meeting with President Abdel-Fattah A-Sisi on Saturday. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also attended the meeting.
The two sides, Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Mohamed Al-Shennawi stated, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid, an exchange of captives and prisoners, and rejected any displacement of the Palestinians from their land.
Fidan’s visit came one day after both Egypt and Turkey issued statements condemning the Israeli cabinet’s decision to seize full control of Gaza and reoccupy the whole of the Strip. Other Arab and European countries also denounced the Israeli decision.
Fidan’s visit is important, according to political science professor Tarek Fahmi, as it coincides with important developments in the region, mainly in Gaza.
“Turkey is keen to develop relations with Egypt in various fields, namely security cooperation, combating terrorism, and coordinating policies in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Libya, the Horn of Africa, and Somalia,” he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Commenting on the improving Egyptian-Turkish relations, a diplomat who preferred to remain anonymous ascribed the normalisation of relations between Cairo and Ankara to two interconnected factors: shifting regional dynamics and the domestic economic challenges facing both countries.
“The regional changes were aggravated by the developments in Gaza that presented a genuine challenge to a region that is already facing a crisis in Libya, a volatile situation in Lebanon, a wait-and-see situation in Syria, and economic challenges,” he said.
Abdelatty, who held a separate meeting with Fidan followed by a press conference, said the talks focused on ending the genocide in Gaza. “We welcome any support from Turkey or any country in the world to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” he said.
Fidan said Turkey would stand with Egypt against any attempt to displace the Palestinians, calling such moves “null and void and bound to fail”. He praised Cairo’s mediation role in the ceasefire talks and its efforts in humanitarian aid delivery to the Strip.
Fahmi noted that Turkey wants to be involved in the present negotiations held by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
“However, the Turkish role is expected to be primarily humanitarian, at least initially. The involvement can be in the humanitarian field via easing access to aid as well as talking with the Israeli side, as Ankara has its own channels in that matter,” he said.
Abdelatty and Fidan also discussed regional issues, namely the importance of preserving unity and territorial integrity in Syria and holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections and removing foreign forces from Libya.
This is in addition to the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and starting serious dialogue to reach a political settlement in Sudan.
Other issues of mutual importance included the situation in Yemen, Red Sea navigation, and challenges facing the Horn of Africa, especially Somalia.
Bilateral relations between Egypt and Turkey have gained momentum in recent years through frequent reciprocal visits.
Abdelatty and Fidan praised this tangible progress in various fields, pointing to the increasing pace of high-level exchange visits in a way that helps foster cooperation and boost relations between Cairo and Ankara.
Abdelatty visited Turkey in February, and the two ministers last met in June during the Organisation of Islamic Conference Council of Foreign Ministers session in Istanbul. There has been a frequent exchange of phone calls to discuss pressing regional issues.
They will hold a Joint Working Group meeting before the end of the year to prepare for the second round of the High Strategic Council expected during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s planned visit to Egypt next year. The first round of the council was co-chaired by the Egyptian and Turkish presidents in September 2024.
On the economic front, a 2022-23 report from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) showed that Turkey was Egypt’s fifth-largest trading partner, ahead of countries like Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Egypt remains Ankara’s largest trade partner in Africa, with bilateral trade reaching $8.8 billion in 2024. Turkish investments in Egypt are valued at around $3.5 billion. Both sides aim to raise the figure to $15 billion in the coming years.
After a decade of severed relations, Erdogan visited Egypt in February last year in the first such visit since 2012, effectively ending years of political and diplomatic rupture between Egypt and Turkey. In September, Al-Sisi reciprocated. Both leaders also met at other regional and international gatherings throughout the year.
These encounters were a culmination of several rounds of reconciliatory diplomatic efforts and meetings demonstrating that it is in the interest of both states to gradually re-establish relations.
Numerous bilateral Egyptian-Turkish meetings throughout 2024 resulted in 17 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) aimed at increasing trade to $15 billion a year, the selling of Turkish drones to Egypt, and the launch of the joint High Strategic Council.
Fidan’s visit coincides with the centennial of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Turkey. Celebrating this milestone reflects the depth of bilateral ties and the shared understanding of the need for coordination to strengthen cooperation, Abdelatty said.
Turkey established diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1925 at the level of chargé d’affaires and upgraded its mission in Cairo to ambassadorial level in 1948. Both countries have embassies and consulate generals in each other’s capitals.
While the normalisation of relations is an important and welcome step, it does not mean that Egypt and Turkey have reached agreement on all their differences.
“It further encourages both states to invest in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy to work together to face regional and international challenges. This is important at a time of quick regional and international changes and growing connections between Turkish and Egyptian interests,” the diplomat concluded.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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