Turkey has agreed to a $350-million defense cooperation package with Egypt that will expand military supply ties and establish joint defense production capacity in North Africa.
The agreement was struck between Turkey’s state‑owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) and Egypt’s Ministry of Defence during an official visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Cairo to meet President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi.
Under the deal, MKE will export the Tolga short‑range air defense system to Egypt for $130 million, a platform designed to detect and defeat aerial threats including drones and low‑flying aircraft, according to a report by Business Insider Africa.
In addition to arms exports, the pact calls for construction of a 155mm long‑range artillery ammunition factory in Egypt and production lines for 7.62mm and 12.7mm ammunition, with the remaining $220 million of the deal financing those industrial investments.
Egypt and Turkey also agreed to establish a joint venture company to oversee the new facilities and to bolster Egypt’s potential as a regional military manufacturing hub, including exports across Africa and the Middle East.
Turkey‑Egypt Defense Relations
In recent years, defense cooperation between Turkey and Egypt has advanced beyond traditional arms sales to include joint exercises and co‑production initiatives.
After a decade of strained ties, the two militaries resumed joint naval and air exercises in September 2025 under the “Friendship Sea” operation, involving Turkish frigates, patrol vessels, submarines, and F‑16 fighter jets operating alongside Egyptian naval forces.
At the EDEX 2025 defense exhibition, Turkish and Egyptian defense firms showcased deeper industrial ties, including the Hamza-1, a vertical take‑off and landing drone produced jointly by Turkish and Egyptian partners, and the Aqrab unmanned ground vehicle developed for reconnaissance and armed missions.
In March 2025, Turkey signed a strategic agreement with Egypt to locally produce advanced unmanned ground vehicles in Cairo.
