Egypt Reaffirms Ties With Greece, Cyprus, Thwarting Turkish Regional Ambitions
Egypt has maintained and publicly reinforced its strategic partnerships with Greece and Cyprus, defying Turkish expectations of a shift in regional alliances. Despite recent efforts by Turkey to mend relations with Cairo, Egypt has not distanced itself from its long-standing Mediterranean partners. This development is seen as a significant setback for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose calculations for Egypt to join a regional bloc centered around Turkey have not materialized, according to Hellas Journal founder Michalis Ignatiou.
The confirmation of these ties was evident at a September 8 meeting in El Alamein, where Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed to continue coordinating and strengthening their trilateral mechanism, established in 2014. Sisi described this cooperation as a model for regional collaboration.
Egypt's relationship with Cyprus was elevated to a strategic partnership in April 2026, with both nations agreeing to expand cooperation in energy, trade, investment, and transportation. Energy is a key area, with Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece planning to channel Cypriot gas, expected from the Cronos field starting in 2028, to the European market via Egyptian infrastructure. Greece is also a potential transit route. Additionally, Egypt and Greece are advancing the GREGY electrical interconnection project, which Cairo views as crucial for its energy cooperation with Athens.
Israel also plays a significant role in this regional configuration. Greece has been steadily enhancing its defense cooperation with Israel, with Mitsotakis recently calling the partnership strategic and agreeing to a major air defense system project utilizing Israeli technology. Ignatiou suggests that the combination of Egypt's ties with Greece and Cyprus, coupled with deepening Greek-Israeli defense collaboration, creates a challenging geopolitical landscape for Turkey.
While there is no formal military alliance between Egypt and Israel against Turkey, Cairo is pursuing a multi-vector foreign policy. Egypt has engaged in security discussions concerning the Red Sea with Saudi Arabia and participated in meetings with the US and other Arab nations. However, its recent actions underscore a commitment to its Eastern Mediterranean partnerships, particularly as Israel also strengthens military ties with Athens. Ignatiou posits that any further deterioration in Israeli-Turkish relations could amplify the significance of this emerging regional alignment, potentially leading Israel to view Turkish military presence in Northern Cyprus and its actions in Syria within a broader security context.
