CAIRO, Sept 24 (NNN-MENA) – Egyptian naval forces have arrived in Türkiye, to participate in the joint naval exercise “Friendship Sea — 2025,” marking the first such drill between the two countries in 13 years, the Egyptian Armed Forces said in a statement, yesterday.
The training involves units from both the Egyptian and Turkish navies, and will include a series of lectures and naval activities, the statement said, without specifying a timeframe.
The exercise is part of a broader plan of joint training, conducted by the Egyptian Armed Forces, with military counterparts from friendly and allied nations.
It aimed to hone the skills of participating forces, enhance their efficiency, and unify operational concepts, to boost combat readiness. It also sought to strengthen military cooperation and promote the exchange of expertise, in line with modern tactics and combat methods, the statement added.
Egypt and Türkiye had been at odds over the past decade, mainly due to the ouster of former Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi in July, 2013, and the subsequent banning of his Türkiye-backed Muslim Brotherhood group, which led both countries to expel each other’s ambassadors.
A thaw in the long-frozen bilateral ties began in 2020 when Ankara initiated a diplomatic effort to reduce tensions with its former regional adversaries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. In 2023, Ankara and Cairo mutually reappointed ambassadors.– NNN-MENA
