In 2009, Turkey and Egypt began conducting joint naval exercises under the title “Sea of Friendship.” These exercises continued annually until 2013, when they were suspended due to political tensions between the two countries. However, with the recent normalisation of relations, the manoeuvres resumed, held this year from 22 to 26 September.
According to Turkish Defence Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk, the goal of the exercise was to “develop bilateral relations and enhance interoperability between the Turkish and Egyptian naval forces.”
The drills attracted significant attention within Turkey and across the region, as they came at a time of heightened Israeli aggression and regional instability, nearly two years after Israel’s brutal war on Gaza — following the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been emboldened by what he perceives as military “successes” — targeting six Arab capitals and assassinating resistance leaders and senior military officials in several countries. His rhetoric has recently extended to issuing veiled threats against Ankara and Cairo, warning of a similar fate.
Though unofficial, these threats prompted both Egypt and Turkey to heighten their military preparedness and explore broader defence cooperation with other Arab and Islamic nations.
Regional Shifts in Defence Alliances
Israel’s expansionist attacks, including the recent strike on Doha, have shaken regional security. In response, Saudi Arabia swiftly signed a joint defence agreement with Pakistan, a move described by analysts as a “shocking geopolitical development.”
These shifting dynamics added strategic weight to the “Sea of Friendship” manoeuvres, drawing the attention of regional powers — particularly Israel and Greece, who view deeper Turkish–Egyptian cooperation with apprehension.
According to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, relations between Ankara and Cairo are now “at their best point in modern history.” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan echoed this sentiment, crediting Israel’s aggression in Gaza for accelerating coordination between the two nations.
Fidan also revealed that cooperation over the Gaza file is “extensive and multidimensional,” reflecting a shared desire to strengthen Islamic regional solidarity.
This raises key strategic questions: Could these exercises mark the foundation of a new regional defence structure? And how might such cooperation impact Israel’s security, particularly regarding Eastern Mediterranean maritime boundaries, Greece’s involvement, and the Libyan conflict?
The Need for a New Regional Security Architecture
The last major regional security alliance involving Turkey was the Baghdad Pact (1955), which included Britain, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan, formed to counter Soviet expansion. It disintegrated following the 1958 revolution in Iraq and was dissolved entirely after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002 under President Erdoğan, Turkey’s foreign policy has sought to reorient toward regional self-reliance — aiming to establish a Middle Eastern security framework independent of Western powers.
However, the turbulence of the Arab Spring (2011), the rise of non-state actors such as ISIS and the PKK, and regional instability hindered that vision. The result was a fractured Arab order, weakened defence coordination, and a paralysed Arab League unable to counter Israeli or Western interventions.
Today, after Israel’s attacks on multiple Arab and Islamic nations, the urgency of forming a new regional defence structure has become undeniable — one that includes not only Arab countries but also Muslim powers such as Turkey and Pakistan.
Dependence on foreign security guarantees, once seen as a pragmatic necessity, has proven dangerously misguided.
A Tactical Signal to Israel
The latest Turkish–Egyptian naval exercises were widely interpreted as a strategic warning to Israel, signalling that Ankara and Cairo are prepared to confront emerging regional threats collectively.
Both countries have demonstrated significant defence advancements:
- Turkey recently unveiled indigenous ballistic missiles and smart bombs, developments that drew close scrutiny from Israeli and European media.
- Egypt has increased its military deployment in Sinai, both in manpower and weaponry — leading Israel to file complaints with Washington, accusing Cairo of breaching the 1979 peace treaty.
The culmination of these developments in joint naval manoeuvres between two of the Mediterranean’s strongest fleets cannot go unnoticed by Tel Aviv. Egypt has also expressed interest in co-producing Turkish drones, a partnership that would mark a major leap in regional military cooperation.
While a direct confrontation between Israel and either country is unlikely in the immediate term, future escalation cannot be ruled out — particularly given the deepening volatility across the Middle East.
Greece Watches with Unease
Greece has reacted with clear apprehension to the growing Turkish–Egyptian partnership. Athens understands that such rapprochement could lead to maritime border demarcation between the two nations — effectively undermining years of Greek efforts, supported by France and Israel, to isolate Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration previously sought to deny Turkey its rightful share of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) by concluding bilateral agreements with Egypt. However, Turkey countered this through its maritime agreement with Libya’s UN-recognised government and subsequent naval exploration missions, which have frustrated Athens and Brussels.
The European Union’s attempts to sanction Turkey failed due to internal divisions among member states. Greece now realises that any maritime deal between Cairo and Ankara would legitimise Turkey’s position diplomatically and legally, granting it undeniable access to regional energy resources.
Although Greece maintains cordial ties with Egypt, it recognises that Cairo’s strategic calculus may shift, especially as Turkey’s proposed maps offer Egypt an additional 10,000 square kilometres of maritime territory — a powerful incentive to realign.
Libya: The Missing Piece of Peace
Every step toward Turkish–Egyptian reconciliation inevitably revives the Libyan question. Both nations wield significant influence in Libya’s divided east and west, and any improvement in their bilateral ties could pave the way for ending the Libyan conflict.
Recently, Ankara expanded its engagement with Eastern Libya, welcoming Khalifa Haftar’s sons — Saddam and Belgacem — for high-level meetings. Rumours have circulated that Haftar might instruct the Tobruk-based parliament to approve the maritime boundary agreement signed between Turkey and Libya’s Tripoli government under former Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, though progress remains slow.
For now, Ankara and Cairo appear to share an implicit understanding: to manage their differences without reigniting confrontation.
Toward a Stronger Regional Future
The joint naval drills in Turkey’s Muğla province stand as a milestone in the renewal of Turkish–Egyptian relations. But their significance extends far beyond symbolism. They represent a potential turning point in the region’s strategic landscape — one that could reshape political, defence, and security structures across the Islamic world.
In a region long destabilised by foreign intervention, the emerging alignment between Ankara and Cairo sends a clear message:
The era of unilateral Israeli dominance is over. The Muslim world is recalibrating its defences — on its own terms.
