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Türkiye and Egypt will conduct their first joint naval exercise in 13 years, launching the "Sea of Friendship" drill in the Eastern Mediterranean from Sept. 22 to 26, Turkish defense officials announced.
The exercise will feature Turkish naval forces, including the TCG Orucreis and TCG Gediz frigates, TCG Imbat and TCG Bora patrol boats, TCG Gur submarine, and two F-16 fighter jets, according to Turkish Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk speaking during a weekly press briefing on Thursday.
Egyptian naval vessels participating include the ENS Tahya Misr (FFG-1001) and Fouad Zekry, which will visit Türkiye's Aksaz naval base as part of the exercise.
Both countries' naval commanders will attend the Distinguished Observer Day on Sept. 25, underscoring the exercise's diplomatic significance.
"The Türkiye-Egypt Sea of Friendship Naval Operation Special Exercise will be held Sept. 22-26 in the Eastern Mediterranean to develop bilateral relations and increase mutual operability," Akturk said.
The joint drill represents a concrete step in military cooperation following the recent normalization of relations between Cairo and Ankara, which had been at their lowest point since Egypt's 2013 coup.
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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described Türkiye-Egypt relations as having reached "the best level in modern history" during an interview with Egypt's MBC Masr channel on Thursday.
"The relationship between the two peoples has always been excellent. The two peoples are alike; it's impossible to separate them," Fidan said.
"But the relationship between political elites and bureaucracy to bureaucracy, from government to government, has really reached an excellent point. Because we can discuss all kinds of issues," he added.
Fidan emphasized the need for professional collaboration to advance bilateral cooperation, stating: "I underline that we need to work professionally, we need to work hard. There is political will and determination. We need to do a lot of work underneath."
The exercise carries significant geopolitical weight as both nations possess the longest coastlines in the Eastern Mediterranean, a region marked by energy competition and maritime boundary disputes.
During the period of strained relations, Egypt had aligned with Greece and the Greek Cyprus through maritime delimitation agreements, positioning itself opposite Türkiye. The joint exercise signals Cairo's potential shift toward a more balanced position in regional affairs.
Regarding regional issues where the countries had differing positions, Fidan noted progress through communication and trust-building.
"Our starting positions on Libya were further apart from each other. But over time, through communication and increasing trust between us, we have reached a certain point," Fidan said.
He said Türkiye and its partners are already working closely together on Sudan and Gaza, particularly on the Palestinian issue, describing the cooperation as “like flesh and nail.”
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