Turkey and Egypt Conduct Joint Naval Drills as Mediterranean Rivalry Intensifies

Joint naval exercises between Turkey and Egypt in the eastern Mediterranean this week mark the latest step in a deepening partnership, as Ankara works to draw Cairo closer while distancing it from Turkish rivals Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.

The “Sea of Friendship 2026” drills, conducted from November 4–9 off the coast of Alexandria, come after five years of improved relations following nearly a decade of mistrust. That rift was triggered by Egypt’s 2013 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

This marks the second consecutive year of joint drills between the two countries, ending a 13-year hiatus.

“I think it’s already a sign that the two countries are drawing closer,” said Elem Tepecikoğlu, an Africa expert at Ankara’s Social Sciences University. “The naval exercises are part of an evolving partnership,” she added.

“This normalization process began five years ago on the diplomatic front,” she explained. “We are now seeing cooperation extend into the security domain, which is why I am optimistic that Egypt may move closer to Turkey.”

The deepening Turkey-Egypt alignment is causing unease in Israel, particularly as Israeli-Turkish relations remain strained over the war in Gaza and Ankara’s support for Hamas.

“Israel does not view this as a positive development, given the heightened tensions between the two countries,” warned Gallia Lindenstrauss, a Turkey analyst at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies.

Lindenstrauss noted that Israel is increasingly wary of Turkey’s expanding presence in the eastern Mediterranean. “There is concern that Turkey and Egypt could cooperate in ways that squeeze Israel’s room to maneuver, both politically and militarily,” she said.

Lindenstrauss said she does not consider this a likely scenario, affirming that the 1979 peace agreement between Israel and Egypt remains “very much in place, despite many geopolitical turnovers.”

“But there has always been a fear that surrounding countries might unite and act against Israel,” she added.

Lindenstrauss believes Egypt’s strong ties with Turkish rivals Greece and Cyprus help alleviate fears of Israeli encirclement. “It is very important that this relationship continues because it is a source of stability in the eastern Mediterranean,” she said.

Turkish leverage

Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel are bound by a tightly knit strategic energy alliance centered on the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, a regional organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Cairo.

Last month, the group stood united in condemning the Libyan parliament’s ratification of a maritime deal with Turkey that infringes on Greek and Egyptian waters.

Still, Jalel Harchaoui, a regional expert at the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, observes that Turkey and Egypt are forging increasingly close collaboration on issues ranging from Libya and Sudan’s civil war to the Horn of Africa. He suggests this growing cooperation is steadily boosting Ankara’s leverage over Cairo.

“Observers should ask whether Egypt can afford to do without Turkey,” he said. “The answer is probably no, and Turkey is likely aware of that.”

Even so, Harchaoui doubts Cairo is prepared to pivot fully toward Ankara. “If Egypt switches 180 degrees, it would be disastrous for Greece, Cyprus, and Israel,” he said. “One must also ask whether Egypt can afford to anger its traditional allies.”

Egypt’s balancing act

Ankara is intensifying its diplomatic outreach to Cairo, hoping to draw Egypt away from its longstanding partners.

Turkish ambitions faced a setback when Egypt declined to join the Mecca Defence Alliance with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan in August. Lindenstrauss views this as a clear indication of the limits to Turkish-Egyptian ties.

“Egypt has already moved closer to Turkey than would have been imaginable a few years ago,” she said. “However, there are limits to how much greater Turkish influence Cairo will accept. Turkey has likely reached the extent of what Egypt is willing to agree to, and it will not grant concessions in the eastern Mediterranean that endanger its relations with Greece and Cyprus or its peace agreement with Israel.”

Lindenstrauss believes that, despite diplomatic tensions with Israel over the war in Gaza, it remains in Egypt’s interests to maintain ties with all sides. “Because of Egypt’s regional importance, it can definitely pursue this balancing act,” she added. “It gains the benefits while keeping risks relatively low compared to choosing sides.”

Ankara is prepared to intensify its campaign to win over Cairo as the struggle for influence in the eastern Mediterranean intensifies. In the unfolding rivalry between Turkey on one side and Greece, Cyprus, and Israel on the other, Egypt is emerging as the pivotal player.

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