Relations between Türkiye and Egypt are "at an excellent level" under the leadership of the two countries’ presidents, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday.
Ties between the two nations are progressing in a way that promotes prosperity and stability in the entire region, Fidan told a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in the Egyptian city of El Alamein.
He also said the two countries share the "same stance" on neighboring Libya's unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty, and indivisibility.
On the interest shown in Egypt over the transfer of football star Mohamed Salah to Turkish side Trabzonspor, Fidan said the enthusiasm has effectively brought the Turkish and Egyptian peoples closer together.
Fidan said that during his current two-day visit to Egypt, the two sides reviewed the roadmap for the next High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting, which Türkiye is expected to host in 2028.
He described the meeting as particularly important for economic and commercial relations.
“We hope to reach our $15 billion trade volume target," he said.
Fidan also said he and Mohamed Farid Saleh, Egypt’s investment and foreign trade minister, signed a decision amending the countries’ free trade agreement to help businesspeople operate under more favorable conditions.
He added that Egypt also joined a memorandum of understanding on strengthening connectivity that Türkiye previously signed with several African countries.
Fidan said cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt is developing across all fields, including military relations through reciprocal visits and joint exercises.
“Türkiye favors regional policies in the Eastern Mediterranean that prioritize dialogue and cooperation rather than polarization and confrontation,” he said, adding that Ankara wants to strengthen maritime cooperation with Egypt in a way that serves both countries’ interests.
Fidan said Türkiye and Egypt are working with a shared understanding on nearly all regional issues under discussion.
He said Ankara and Cairo are coordinating closely over Gaza, as well as developments concerning the West Bank and Jerusalem, and that coordination over the Gaza peace plan remains at the highest level.
The two countries are also continuing efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
He also warned that attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are seriously threatening freedom and security of navigation in the region.
He said Türkiye and Egypt agree on the need to take more serious measures on Gaza.
Fidan described the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed last week by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan as a “historic moment” for the region.
He said regional countries must increasingly take responsibility for solving their own problems instead of relying on outside powers.
“If we, as countries of the region, do not take ownership of our own issues, expecting others to solve our problems on our behalf would, to put it mildly, be naive,” Fidan said.
He noted that Türkiye has developed a common understanding with Egypt and other regional countries over the past three years and said they already cooperate closely on Libya, Sudan, Palestine, and other African issues.
Fidan added that the two countries’ defense institutions and defense industries are also engaged in extensive cooperation.
On the possibility of Egypt joining the Mecca alliance, Fidan said Türkiye had been consulting Cairo from the beginning.
“Egypt is our natural partner. Hopefully it will soon become our official partner as well,” he said.
Fidan underlined that the Mecca alliance is not directed against any particular country.
“This alliance is not against anyone. It is about underlining our commitment to one another’s security, sovereignty, and prosperity and increasing regional ownership of regional problems,” he said.
He contrasted the initiative with cooperation between Israel, the Greek Cypriot Administration, and Greece in the Mediterranean, saying Türkiye’s alliance is focused on cooperation, regional ownership, and deterrence rather than targeting another country.
Fidan said the region has lost many years to wars, occupations, and internal conflicts and now needs security and stability in order to accelerate development, economic growth, technology investment, and major infrastructure projects.
Fidan said Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar are continuing mediation efforts with the US to implement the Gaza Peace Plan.
He said the Palestinian side has made significant sacrifices and accepted difficult conditions during negotiations, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have repeatedly showed that they are not genuinely committed to the peace agreement.
Fidan said implementation of the Gaza plan has now reached a critical stage.
“If, despite the Palestinian side fulfilling its commitments, Israel fails to take the necessary steps during the transition to phase two, this could push us, the other mediators, to take a radical step on the process,” he said.
He added that Türkiye expects the US to put the necessary pressure on Israel.
“Otherwise, Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt will have to take radical steps. This is a responsibility we owe to our nation and to the Palestinians,” Fidan said.
He argued that it is unacceptable for Israel to show no change in its position despite the Palestinians fulfilling their responsibilities.
Fidan also said international attention has recently shifted toward developments in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, but predicted that pressure on Israel would increase once that issue subsides.
He said Netanyahu’s government has pushed Israel toward growing international isolation, adding that pressure should be intensified to stop policies aimed at removing Palestinians from Gaza.
Fidan said Türkiye last year joined the Board of Peace, together with Egypt and other countries, in an effort to head off such plans through diplomacy and peaceful means.
He added that phase one had aimed to stop the killing in Gaza and said international and regional efforts have achieved this to a certain extent, although humanitarian aid still remains below the desired level.
On Sudan, Fidan said ending the war and resolving differences through dialogue are essential.
He acknowledged that this would not be easy but pointed to ongoing efforts by the US and regional countries.
Because Sudan borders Egypt, Fidan said instability there poses direct security and economic risks to Egypt, including refugee flows.
“There are refugees in Egypt coming from Sudan; we experienced this in Syria,” he said, referring to the large influx of Syrians into Türkiye during that country’s long civil war.
“When you are a neighboring country, a conflict on the other side of the border comes back to you in the form of refugee flows and security threats. But we did everything we could with great patience. Here, too, we see our Egyptian brothers taking care of our Sudanese brothers,” he added.
Fidan on Thursday began a two-day visit to Egypt.
During the visit, Fidan is scheduled to be received by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and meet senior Egyptian officials, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
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