Turkey and Egypt will conduct joint naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean for the first time in 13 years, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Thursday, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.
The “Friendship Sea” drills are scheduled to take place September 22-26.
The ministry said Turkish forces taking part will include the frigates TCG Oruçreis and TCG Gediz, the fast attack boats TCG İmbat and TCG Bora, the submarine TCG Gür and two F-16 fighter jets. Egyptian naval units will also participate.
A high-level observer day is planned for September 25, when the commanders of both Turkey and Egypt’s naval forces are expected to attend.
The drills come amid a thaw in relations. Egypt and Turkey normalized relations after a decade of diplomatic estrangement that began with Ankara’s sharp criticism of the 2013 military ouster of Egypt’s elected president, Mohamed Morsi. Following years of mutual accusations and regional rivalry, the two countries began official reconciliation talks in 2021.
The process gained momentum with reciprocal ambassadorial appointments in 2023 and high-level visits, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Cairo in February 2024 and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s trip to Ankara in September 2024, signaling a new chapter of cooperation in trade, energy and defense.