Egypt, Turkey hold first joint naval exercise in over a decade

Turkey and Egypt on Monday launched the first joint naval exercise in 13 years as bilateral defence ties continue to warm.

The two countries will take part in five days of exercises named 'Friendship of the Sea 2025' in the Eastern Mediterranean in a show of strength as Israel's unrestrained aggression stokes concerns across the region.

Egypt's military spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that Egyptian naval forces had arrived in Turkey for the drills.

He said that the exercise would "strengthen military cooperation" with Turkey, describing it as a "brotherly and friendly" country.

Turkey and Egypt have the two largest armies in the Middle East.

Ties between the two countries soured more than a decade ago after the Egyptian military ousted President Mohammed Morsi, an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The two countries also clashed over competing interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and war-torn Libya, where they backed opposing sides in the country's civil war.

Tensions began to thaw in 2022 when Qatar organised a face-to-face meeting between Sisi and Erdogan on the sidelines of the World Cup.

The following year, the two countries agreed to reappoint ambassadors and reopen embassies in Cairo and Ankara. Since then, they have expanded military cooperation.

The Egyptian government has allowed Turkish companies to take part in its annual Egypt Defence Expo.

Media reports recently claimed that Turkey will allow Egypt to help produce its fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the KAAN.

A company affiliated with the Egyptian military last month signed an agreement with Turkish defence software company Havelsan to co-produce autonomous drones in Egypt.

The growing partnership comes as Israel's belligerence unnerves countries across the Middle East.

Ankara's ties with Israel have reached their lowest point in years due to the Netanyahu government's destruction of Gaza and aggression against the new Turkey-backed government in Syria.

Egypt recently called for a regional military alliance akin to an 'Arab Nato' in response to Israel's unprecedented attack in Qatar.

Officials in Cairo are concerned that Israel plans to forcibly displace Gaza's 2.2 million inhabitants into the Sinai and has reinforced its military presence near the border.