Turkey and Egypt Strengthen Security Cooperation Amid Middle East Conflict

Turkey and Egypt have intensified their security cooperation in response to the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Recently, the two countries conducted joint military exercises, including an air drill in Egypt featuring Turkish F-16 fighter jets, followed by a similar exercise in Konya, Turkey, involving Egyptian F-16s. This marks a significant development given the historical tensions between the two nations. Earlier joint activities included a special forces training near Ankara in April last year and a naval exercise named "Friendship Sea" in the eastern Mediterranean in September.

On the political front, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Cairo in February 2026, signaling a diplomatic thaw. Such cooperation was previously unthinkable due to Erdoğan's affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt views as a major internal threat, and Ankara's 2019 maritime border agreement with Libya that challenged Egyptian and Greek interests.

The shared security concerns driving this rapprochement include Turkey's embarrassment over NATO allies intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles on its soil during Operation "Roar of the Lion," and Egypt's economic damages caused by Houthi rebels, Iran's proxies in Yemen, blocking the Bab al-Mandab strait. Despite Egypt's peace treaty with Israel and its embassy in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem remains wary of Cairo's significant military buildup, which appears disproportionate given the lack of direct threats on its borders. Meanwhile, Turkey openly regards Israel as a major regional threat, promoting conspiracy theories about Israeli territorial ambitions, which, although unfounded, resonate with segments of the Turkish population.