Cairo (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) February 04, 2026 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Cairo on Tuesday following discussions in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received Erdogan at Ittihadiya Palace with full military honours. Israeli officials voiced concerns regarding potential Turkey-Egypt coordination on regional security matters.
Erdogan's aircraft touched down at Cairo International Airport at 2:15pm local time. The leaders held private talks covering bilateral trade expansion, Gaza reconstruction coordination, and eastern Mediterranean energy cooperation. Egyptian state media broadcast the welcoming ceremony featuring 21-gun salute and guard of honour inspection.
Erdogan's Gulf-North Africa Diplomatic Swing Details
Erdogan completed four-hour meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Palace on Monday. Turkish presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun confirmed discussions addressed Syria stabilisation efforts, Yemen humanitarian access protocols, and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation reform proposals. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan joined the Riyadh session preceding Cairo departure.
Egyptian presidency spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy detailed summit priorities including $10 billion annual trade target achievement by 2028. Sisi raised Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam filling schedule concerns requesting Turkish technical assessment support. Commercial agreements valued $1.8 billion signed spanning automotive components, ready-made garments, and citrus exports.
Anadolu Agency reported Erdogan emphasised Turkey-Egypt joint reconstruction mechanism for Gaza post-ceasefire phase. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty confirmed Rafale fighter jet co-production framework and T-129 helicopter maintenance facility agreements.
Israeli Official Reactions to Turkey-Egypt Engagement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued statement expressing concern over deepening Turkey-Egypt defence cooperation. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar summoned Turkish Charge d'Affaires in Tel Aviv to register formal protest. IDF military intelligence directorate elevated monitoring of Turkish Bayraktar drone deployments to Egyptian airbases.
Ynet news channel cited government sources indicating fears of joint Turkey-Egypt naval exercises challenging Israeli maritime security interests. Jerusalem Post reported Mossad assessments highlighting risks from Turkish-Egyptian intelligence liaison arrangements. Israeli security cabinet convened emergency session Tuesday evening reviewing regional realignments.
Dr.Hothaد.هوذة, political commentator, reacted to Erdogan's
Riyadh visit on X.
Dr.Hothaد.هوذة @HothaAli said in X post,
"Erdogan lands in Riyadh to discuss Syria, Gaza, and managing Iran. A sentence that would've sounded insane just a few years ago. All thanks to Israel and the UAE, who thought they were 'reshaping the region.' Instead, they accidentally triggered an Islamic alignment they can't control: Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt with others lining up behind them. Historic levels of diplomatic incompetence from Israel."
Turkey-Egypt Bilateral Agreements Signed in Cairo
Egypt-Turkey High Council for Strategic Cooperation convened third session approving 12 protocols. Turkish Eximbank extended $2 billion credit line financing Egyptian textile machinery imports. QNB Finansbank acquired 25% equity stake in Commercial International Bank for $850 million.
Turkish Aerospace Industries contracted 12 Anka-S drones delivery Q3 2026 valued $420 million. Roketsan supplied 200 Gercek-1 laser-guided rockets for Egyptian army inventories. Egyptian Metallurgical Industries licensed Otokar Kaplan MT tank production line Alexandria facility.
Turkish Petroleum Refineries awarded $1.2 billion contract constructing Alexandria lubricants plant capacity 300,000 tonnes annually. Sumitomo Egypt-Turkey photovoltaic joint venture produces 500 MW solar modules El Minya industrial zone.
Gaza Reconstruction Coordination Framework
Leaders reviewed US-Qatar-Egypt three-phase ceasefire proposal guaranteeing 1,000 daily aid trucks through Rafah crossing. Erdogan proposed Turkey-Egypt joint field hospital deployment central Gaza Strip capacity 500 beds. Sisi confirmed Egyptian battalion readiness securing Philadelphi Corridor demilitarised zone.
Turkey committed 250 military engineers reconstructing Gaza electricity transmission network. Egyptian Red Crescent coordinates Rafah operations processing 450,000 displaced Palestinians since October 2025. Joint communique calls complete Israeli disengagement northern Gaza preceding reconstruction commencement.
Egyptian intelligence facilitates Hamas-Fatah national unity government formation resuming Cairo talks February 15. Turkish National Intelligence Organisation provides ceasefire verification drone surveillance support. Trilateral Turkey-Egypt-Qatar reconstruction fund targets $15 billion disbursement 2026-2030.
Syria Stabilisation and Energy Sector Discussions
Erdogan briefed Sisi Syria offshore Block 1 production sharing contract signed Chevron-Power International February 3. Egypt expressed interest participating Block 4 offshore Latakia tender March 2026. Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation extends Kirkuk-Ceyhan crude line Tartus terminal capacity 1 million bpd.
Sisi confirmed Egyptian Special Forces secured Deir ez-Zor oilfields January 2026 operations. Turkey coordinates Idlib security belt 8,000 troops alongside Egyptian military advisors deployment. Joint reconstruction consortium manages $22 billion Syrian infrastructure contracts Turkish-Egyptian engineering firms.
Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company negotiates 5 bcm annual Syrian gas imports via Arab Gas Pipeline extension. Turkish BOTAS secures long-term offtake agreement commencing 2027 deliveries.
Eastern Mediterranean Energy Cooperation Initiatives
Turkey-Egypt signed East Mediterranean Gas Forum associate membership protocol including Syria representation. Egyptian Zohr field supplies 1 bcfpd Turkish market through LNG spot cargoes. Chevron coordinates Leviathan-Tamar-Syria Block 1 regional pipeline system feasibility assessment.
Turkish TPAO nominated 20% working interest Egypt North Themed Block 4 adjacent Syrian territorial waters. Egypt licensed Turkish Pioneer rig Nile Delta exploration wells spudding Q4 2026. Leaders established $5 billion Mediterranean gas development fund Turkish Development Bank-Egypt sovereign wealth participation.
Greek Foreign Ministry protested Turkey-Egypt maritime boundary delineation agreements. Israeli Energy Ministry monitors joint naval surveys Aegean maritime zones March 2026 schedule.
Historical Context Turkey-Egypt Relations Evolution
Diplomatic relations severed August 2013 following Rabaa Square events. Qatar-mediated intelligence channels reopened November 2022. August 2023 Cairo summit restored ambassadorial level representation with $500 million trade facilitation protocol.
February 2024 Ankara Declaration established High Council Bilateral Cooperation biannual meetings. Turkish contractors secured $3.2 billion Egyptian infrastructure projects 2025 calendar year. Erdogan visited Cairo October 2024 signing defence industry cooperation memorandum understanding.
Sisi reciprocated Ankara April 2025 summit approving joint maritime patrol protocols. Bilateral trade volume doubled $6.2 billion since normalisation commencement. Turkish Airlines operates 21 weekly Cairo flights capacity 12,500 passengers.
Saudi Arabia Role Regional Mediation Efforts
Riyadh talks addressed Yemen Stockholm Agreement extension through 2027. Saudi Arabia committed $4 billion Gaza reconstruction financing conditional Palestinian Authority governance. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hosted parallel Egypt-Turkey coordination sessions.
Joint Saudi-Turkish-Egyptian statement calls immediate Rafah crossing full operations resumption. Riyadh pledges 200,000 tonnes monthly wheat shipments Gaza aid corridor. Turkish Defence Industries coordinates Saudi Anka drone fleet expansion 24 additional platforms.
GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi praised Turkey-Egypt reconciliation model. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan convenes Cairo follow-up trilateral February 10.
Economic Impacts and Trade Volume Projections
Egypt-Turkey trade reached $6.2 billion 2025 marking 28% annual growth. Istanbul exports $4.1 billion automotive parts, machinery, chemicals to Egypt. Cairo supplies $2.1 billion fresh produce, cotton, phosphates Turkish markets.
Turkish contractors execute $8.5 billion Egyptian projects portfolio including New Administrative Capital ring road phase two. Egypt awarded Turkish consortium Cairo Monorail Line 4 $1.9 billion EPC contract. Bilateral investment protection agreement ratified January 2026.
Turkish lira-Egyptian pound currency swap facility expanded $3 billion supporting central bank reserves. Istanbul Stock Exchange lists Egyptian sovereign Eurobond $750 million outstanding.
Israeli Domestic Political Landscape Responses
Knesset Foreign Affairs Defence Committee chair Gadi Eizenkot schedules closed briefing February 6. Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticises government passivity facing regional realignments. Benny Gantz calls national unity government formation addressing security challenges.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir authorises additional Shin Bet personnel Rafah crossing monitoring. IDF Homefront Command distributes 200,000 bomb shelter reinforcement kits northern communities. Jerusalem municipality suspends Turkish cultural centre activities indefinitely.
Coalition agreements prohibit defence ministry contacts Turkish counterparts through 2026. Likud faction advances Knesset resolution condemning Erdogan Cairo statements scheduled February 5 vote.
International Diplomatic Community Positions
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller welcomes Turkey-Egypt stabilisation efforts Gaza mediation support. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urges maritime boundary dispute resolution legal frameworks. Russia Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov endorses Syrian reconstruction Turkish-Egyptian leadership.
China Commerce Minister Wang Wentao announces $3 billion trilateral investment platform. UN Middle East peace coordinator Tor Wennesland praises Rafah crossing operational protocols implementation. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit convenes extraordinary summit Cairo February 10.