Turkey and Egypt hold joint naval exercises amid maritime border negotiations

Turkey and Egypt are conducting a joint naval exercise titled "Dostluk Denizi-2026" (Sea of Friendship) near Alexandria from November 4 to 9, 2026. This maneuver marks the latest step in rebuilding military ties between the two nations following a 13-year hiatus. The exercise will focus on surface operations, anti-submarine warfare, air defense, and special forces training to improve operational interoperability. A previous joint exercise took place in September 2025 at the Aksaz naval base in Turkey.

Simultaneously, reports from the pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak suggest that Ankara is engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to finalize a maritime delimitation agreement with Cairo. Turkey is reportedly offering Egypt an alternative maritime boundary that would grant Cairo 15,000 square kilometers more in jurisdiction than a potential agreement with Greece. Ankara presents this proposal as being consistent with international law and equity. These diplomatic maneuvers are aimed at reshaping the regional balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean by leveraging stronger military cooperation as a foundation for broader maritime settlement talks.