Turkey and Egypt have concluded a $350 million defence cooperation agreement aimed at expanding bilateral military supply chains and establishing joint defence production infrastructure in North Africa.
The deal was signed between Turkey’s state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) and Egypt’s Ministry of Defence during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to Cairo, where he met President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
As part of the agreement, MKE will supply Egypt with the Tolga short-range air defence system under a $130 million export package. The system is designed to counter low-altitude threats, including drones and low-flying aircraft, according to reporting by Business Insider Africa.
Beyond weapons transfers, the partnership includes the construction of a 155mm long-range artillery ammunition manufacturing facility in Egypt, alongside new production lines for 7.62mm and 12.7mm ammunition. The remaining $220 million of the agreement will fund these industrial investments.
The two countries will also establish a joint venture entity to manage the new facilities, strengthening Egypt’s role as a regional defence manufacturing hub with export potential across Africa and the Middle East.
Turkey–Egypt Defence Cooperation
Bilateral defence relations between Ankara and Cairo have expanded in scope in recent years, evolving from conventional arms sales into structured industrial cooperation and joint military activities.
After years of strained relations, the two forces resumed joint naval and air exercises in September 2025 under the “Friendship Sea” drills, involving Turkish frigates, patrol vessels, submarines, and F-16 fighter aircraft operating alongside Egyptian naval units.
At EDEX 2025, defence firms from both countries highlighted growing industrial integration, including the Hamza-1 VTOL drone, developed through joint Turkish-Egyptian collaboration, and the Aqrab unmanned ground vehicle, designed for reconnaissance and armed operations.
In March 2025, Turkey further deepened ties by signing a strategic agreement to support the local production of advanced unmanned ground vehicles in Cairo, reinforcing long-term defence-industrial alignment between the two countries.
