Turkey and Egypt Strengthen Security Cooperation Amid Regional Conflicts

The prolonged conflicts across the Middle East, including Operation Lion's Roar, have significantly impacted regional countries, notably Turkey. One positive outcome for Ankara has been the deepening of security cooperation with Egypt, a partnership that until recently seemed unlikely. Recently, the two militaries agreed on a joint air exercise in Egypt involving Turkish F-16 fighter jets. Following this, Egyptian F-16s participated in another exercise in Konya, Turkey.

These are not the first joint drills between the two nations. In April last year, Egyptian special forces trained near Ankara, and in September, they conducted the "Friendship Sea" naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean. Politically, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Cairo in February 2024, an event that was previously unimaginable due to deep-seated tensions.

Historically, Erdogan's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt views as a major internal threat, and Turkey's 2019 maritime border agreement with Libya, disputed by Egypt and Greece, strained relations. However, shared interests and mutual concerns have fostered cooperation. Turkey was embarrassed during Operation Lion's Roar when NATO allies intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles over its territory. Meanwhile, Egypt suffered severe economic damage from Houthi rebels, Iran's proxies in Yemen, who blockaded the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

Despite ongoing diplomatic ties between Egypt and Israel, including an embassy in Tel Aviv, underlying tensions remain. Egypt annually commemorates October 6, marking its claimed victory in the Yom Kippur War, and its recent military buildup has raised concerns in Jerusalem, given the lack of direct threats on Egypt's borders. Conversely, Ankara openly views Israel as a major regional threat, with Erdogan promoting conspiracy theories about Israel's alleged ambitions to expand across the Middle East, including eastern Turkey. While these theories lack factual basis, they resonate with segments of the Turkish population.