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Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Thursday that Cairo is studying "with seriousness" whether to join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Abdelatty signed several bilateral agreements and addressed Gaza, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Black Sea shipping during a joint press conference in El Alamein, Egypt.
Asked whether Egypt would join the defense agreement signed between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, Abdelatty said Cairo is treating the matter seriously.
He said Egyptian state institutions are conducting a comprehensive review of the issue.
"Egypt has privileged relations with all three countries, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, that are not limited to the political sphere. Egypt attaches importance to advancing its bilateral relations with all three countries," Abdelatty said.
Referring to the Mecca agreement specifically, Abdelatty said, "When it comes to defense matters and the obligations involved, comprehensive reviews must be conducted in accordance with Egypt's constitution and legal obligations."
He added, "We have been aware of this matter from the very beginning, and it is being comprehensively studied within the Egyptian state for the purpose of reaching a decision. Particularly at a time when the region is experiencing unprecedented challenges, there are numerous ideas and initiatives regarding regional arrangements."
Fidan and Egyptian Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Mohamed Farid Saleh signed a "Joint Planning Group Meeting Minutes" document and a "Decision on the Amendment of Protocol No. 3 on Rules of Origin of the Free Trade Agreement," according to a post from Türkiye's Foreign Ministry on X.
The signings took place during the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group in El Alamein.
Abdelatty separately signed Egypt's "Instrument of Accession to the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Strengthening Transportation Connectivity Between Türkiye and African Coastal Countries," according to the ministry's post.
"Türkiye and Egypt relations are truly built on strong foundations," Abdelatty said at the joint press conference.
"We face many challenges in the region, and given this, we must remain in constant consultation. Today we held constructive talks with Mr. Fidan, and senior officials also took part in these meetings. There is political will to advance our relations," he added.
Abdelatty said coordination between the two countries could serve as "an example to the world."
Abdelatty said economic and trade relations between the two countries were also discussed during the talks.
"Egypt-Türkiye relations are built on solid foundations between two major countries and constitute one of the fundamental pillars of stability and cooperation in the region," he said, adding that the trade volume between Türkiye and Egypt has reached $9 billion, with the two sides aiming to raise it to $15 billion.
Abdelatty stressed the need to make more effective use of the two countries' free trade agreement, saying this would strengthen economic cooperation and create new opportunities for joint investment.
He said Egypt welcomes growing Turkish investment in the country and that the two sides are encouraging joint projects targeting regional and international markets.
Abdelatty said the two countries discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in industry, joint production, logistics, energy, transportation, mining, information technology and renewable energy, with technical training, technology transfer and human capital development also on the agenda.
He said cooperation in education, vocational training, higher education, tourism, culture, archaeology, health, civil aviation, youth and sports was also discussed.
Abdelatty thanked the Turkish public for the warm reception given to Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah, who transferred to Trabzonspor roughly a week earlier.
Abdelatty said Egypt and Türkiye share similar views on many regional and international issues and that work would continue to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and prepare for the third meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Abdelatty said the two ministers discussed developments in Syria.
"In our talks with Minister Fidan, we expressed our opposition to and condemnation of all of Israel's attacks on Syria's sovereignty," Abdelatty said.
Abdelatty said the situation in the Palestinian territories was among the key topics discussed.
He said Egypt rejects and condemns Israeli violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
"We emphasized that we do not accept any compromise on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people," he said.
He said the two countries also condemned the expansion of settlement activity in the West Bank and violations of the legal and historical status of Muslim and Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.
Abdelatty said the two ministers discussed at length the importance of implementing the second phase of the Gaza peace plan.
"The content of the second phase is clear. This phase envisions the handover of weapons and Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Therefore, this needs to be carried out in a balanced manner. This is set out extremely clearly in the plan," he said.
"Therefore, we condemn any policy or action that would obstruct the implementation of the second phase of (U.S. President Donald) Trump's plan," Abdelatty noted.
"The Palestinian groups in Gaza have acted responsibly regarding the handover of weapons and the start of the political process. Israel also needs to fulfill its obligations," Abdelatty said.
He said Israel in particular needs to fulfill its first-phase obligations under Trump's plan.
"In the first phase, the entry of humanitarian aid needs to be completed, reaching a level of 600 trucks per day; hospitals and clinics need to be rehabilitated; and the second phase needs to be implemented," Abdelatty said.
"In addition, the plan needs to be fully adhered to, with Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip carried out simultaneously with the handover of weapons. These are extremely important points. Continuous pressure needs to be applied to ensure the Israeli side fulfills its obligations under the second phase," he added.
Egyptian foreign minister said developments in Libya were also discussed, pointing to the importance of Türkiye and Egypt intensifying joint efforts to support the unification of Libya's institutions and a Libyan-led solution.
He said ending the division within Libya's executive branch and unifying state institutions would pave the way for presidential and parliamentary elections, which he said should be held simultaneously.
Abdelatty also stressed the importance of removing foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya and preserving the country's territorial integrity.
Abdelatty said Sudan was one of the files discussed intensively in the talks with Fidan. "There is cooperation between Egypt and Türkiye on efforts aimed at ensuring security and stability in Sudan," he said.
He said political solutions must be prioritized in the Sudan crisis and that the country's national institutions must be protected and supported. He said Egypt is working, in coordination with regional actors, to support a political solution and preserve Sudan's unity and territorial integrity.
"On Sudan, we have a set of principles and criteria that we have agreed upon with our friends in Türkiye. Chief among them is achieving a ceasefire and launching an inclusive political process in Sudan that is fully owned by Sudanese themselves," Abdelatty said.
He said humanitarian aid must reach all regions of Sudan and that Sudan's army and state institutions cannot be equated with any militia force.
"We also discussed that there is no military solution in Sudan, and that advancing diplomatic and political efforts is of great importance. We are acting in this direction and are making intensive joint efforts to launch a political process in Sudan following the establishment of a ceasefire. These efforts will not stop; they will continue," he said.
Abdelatty said arms are being smuggled into Sudan for delivery to militias.
"This is contributing to rising tension and conflict in the country. We are making every possible effort to halt the flow of weapons to militias and to advance political solutions," he said.
Abdelatty said the Ukraine crisis was also discussed, pointing to the war's economic impact on Egypt and other developing countries.
He said Egypt supports all efforts to ensure the sustainability of food shipments and maritime transport through the Black Sea, noting that Egypt is the world's largest importer of wheat and grain, part of which arrives via Black Sea shipping routes.
Abdelatty said Egypt supports Ankara's efforts to revive the Black Sea Grain Corridor agreement, signed in Istanbul in 2022 between Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations, as well as efforts to support freedom of navigation for ships in the Black Sea.
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