A two-week joint air force exercise between Turkey and Egypt that concluded last week has underscored what geopolitical analysts view as a continued normalization of relations between the two regional states, while piquing attention in Athens.
The military exercise, held in Egypt, marks another step in the normalization of bilateral ties, which deteriorated sharply after the 2013 ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Relations began improving in recent years and were formally restored in 2023, before gaining momentum through reciprocal visits by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in 2024.
The latest drill follows the revival last September of the “Sea of Friendship” naval exercise, which resumed after a 13-year hiatus and was widely viewed as a sign of expanding defense cooperation between Ankara and Cairo.
Turkey has continued to emphasize the relationship in recent weeks. Last Monday senior Turkish military officials hosted Egypt’s military attaché, while the Turkish air force is set to host the “Trilateral Eagle Exercise” in the central Turkey city of Konya from today, Monday, to July 3, bringing together aircraft and personnel from Turkey, Egypt and Azerbaijan.
The exercise adds a multilateral dimension to the emerging Ankara-Cairo defense relationship and links eastern Mediterranean security developments with broader strategic dynamics extending toward the Caspian region.
For Greece, the developments are being monitored closely but without visible concern.
Egypt remains one of Athens’ most important regional partners and a key player in the eastern Mediterranean balance of power. The two countries signed a partial maritime boundary agreement in 2020, which Greek officials continue to view as a cornerstone of regional stability.
Recent months have also seen sustained efforts by Athens and Cairo to deepen bilateral cooperation. According to local media reports, Greek and Egyptian officials have intensified contacts on energy, migration and economic cooperation, while work continues on the proposed Greece-Egypt electricity interconnection project. The two governments have also moved forward with implementing an agreement covering the employment of 5,000 Egyptian seasonal farm workers in Greece.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis held a telephone conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty earlier this month, during which the ministers reaffirmed the strategic partnership between their countries and discussed developments in the Middle East, as well as prospects for expanding economic, trade and investment ties.
While Egyptian officials have repeatedly stressed that Cairo’s regional partnerships are not directed against third countries, analysts in Athens are closely assessing the depth and long-term implications of the Turkish-Egyptian rapprochement.
Greek policymakers are expected to continue strengthening bilateral ties with Egypt while seeking to preserve the strategic balance that has emerged in the Eastern Mediterranean in recent years.
