Erdogan pays state visit to Egypt for talks with el-Sisi

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will meet today for the first time since the normalization of Turkiye-Egypt relations.

The restoration of communications between the countries stems from Turkiye’s change in attitude regarding the Muslim Brotherhood. Ankara actively supported this group in the 2010s after its leader was ousted from the presidency of Egypt. In March 2021 the Turkish government started imposing limitations on the operations of media outlets aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood requiring them to refrain from directing criticism towards el-Sisi.

Today, the presidents intend to discuss issues related to trade and regional security, marking a radical shift in Turkiye’s foreign policy stance. Furthermore, Ankara has agreed to provide Cairo with unmanned aerial vehicles and potentially other military technologies after more than a decade of tense relations. Turkiye’s attempt at reconciliation might indicate Ankara’s aspiration to enhance its standing in eastern Mediterranean gas projects, where Cairo holds significant influence. Both presidents share similar stances regarding the intensified humanitarian crisis among Palestinians and Israel’s abuse of the right to self-defense in the Gaza conflict. Their shared positions on Gaza may further bolster Turkiye-Egypt relations. From the Egyptian side, Cairo will try to ensure its robust military capabilities including a stable supply of Turkish drones. These would alleviate pressure from the ongoing civil war in Sudan, which al-Sisi sees as a potential threat to Egypt’s national security.