Türkiye and Egypt will hold joint naval exercises in Alexandria from November 4 to 9, Ankara announced, amid renewed tensions over a disputed maritime boundary agreement between Türkiye and Libya. The announcement follows the Libyan parliament’s ratification of the 2019 agreement, drawing objections from Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, the European Union and Israel. The Turkish Defense Ministry said the Sea of Friendship 2026 exercises would involve naval units and personnel from both countries in surface warfare, anti-submarine operations, air defense and underwater assault training involving combat divers. Defense Ministry spokesman Zeki Akturk said the Turkish warship TCG Burgazada would visit Alexandria from November 1 to 3, following a port call in Souda, Greece, from October 25 to 28. Growing military cooperation The exercises reflect expanding military cooperation between Cairo and Ankara, including defense industry agreements, technology transfers, high-level military exchanges and joint training. Turkish Land Forces Commander Gen. Metin Tokel visited Egypt on October 26 and 27, although the ministry provided no details about his meetings or itinerary. The two countries resumed the Sea of Friendship exercises in September 2025 at the Aksaz naval base in Mugla, southwestern Türkiye, following a 13-year suspension amid tensions over the ouster of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood government. Cairo designates the Brotherhood a terrorist organization. The drills had previously been held annually from 2009 to 2013. Following the normalization of relations in 2024, Egypt and Türkiye signed a letter of intent on defense cooperation in July 2026 during Egyptian Defense Minister Ashraf Salem Zaher’s visit to Ankara. Zaher held talks with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, on expanding military cooperation, particularly in joint training, defense manufacturing, technology transfer and exchanges of expertise. The two countries have since conducted several joint exercises, including Golden Eagle, involving Egyptian paratroopers and commandos alongside Turkish special forces, as well as air force training. Egyptian aircraft also participated in the annual Anatolian Eagle 2026 exercise in Konya, central Türkiye, in June, alongside Azerbaijan and a NATO airborne early warning aircraft. Regional tensions The exercises come against a backdrop of renewed tensions following the Libyan House of Representatives’ October 20 ratification of a maritime boundary memorandum signed on November 27, 2019, between Türkiye and Libya’s former Government of National Accord, led by Fayez al-Sarraj. The agreement remains contested by neighboring countries and the European Union. Ankara has renewed its offer to negotiate maritime boundaries with Egypt, saying that an agreement with Türkiye would give Cairo more than 15,000 additional square kilometers of maritime jurisdiction compared with a potential deal with Greece. Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis rejected the proposal’s underlying approach, telling the newspaper Kathimerini that maritime zones were “not up for auction.” He reaffirmed Greece’s strategic ties with Egypt and their shared commitment to international law, warning that disregarding maritime rules could have repercussions for global trade, food and energy security, and ocean protection. Gerapetritis also pointed to a joint statement issued Monday by the UN representatives of Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union opposing the Türkiye-Libya agreement. He noted that Egypt’s permanent representative to the United Nations stood alongside him in New York as he delivered the statement. Despite the maritime dispute, Türkiye and Greece are continuing military confidence-building efforts. Akturk said the commander of Greece’s Tactical Air Force and an accompanying delegation would visit Türkiye’s Combat Air Force Command from November 3 to 5 under the two countries’ confidence-building plan.
