The Egyptian and Turkish presidents demonstrated their commitment to strengthening political and economic cooperation in Cairo, with a specific target for increased trade and enhanced coordination on major regional issues.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reaffirmed their commitment to revitalising bilateral relations between Egypt and Turkey on Wednesday in Cairo, following talks focused on political, economic, and regional cooperation.
Having arrived in the Egyptian capital the previous day, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was making his third visit to Egypt in less than two years.
The two heads of state co-chaired the second meeting of the Egypt-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and participated in the closing session of the Egypt-Turkey Business Forum, marking a new stage in the rapprochement initiated since the gradual normalisation of relations between the two countries.
Following the talks, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi indicated that the discussions had confirmed “the agreement between the two countries to continue regular consultations” and to hold the next meeting of the Strategic Cooperation Council in Ankara in 2028.
The two leaders expressed a shared ambition to strengthen the economic partnership, particularly
in the areas of trade, investment, and tourism.
Al-Sisi and Erdoğan announced their goal of increasing bilateral trade to $15 billion by 2028, up from approximately $8 billion currently.
The two leaders emphasized that Egypt is Turkey’s largest trading partner on the African continent. The Turkish president stated his desire to “establish a Turkish-Egyptian economic model capable of withstanding global crises,” noting that Turkish investments in Egypt amount to approximately $4 billion and that tourist traffic between the two countries reached 500,000 visitors last year, with the
ambition to increase this number.
The two heads of state also witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements covering the political, military, and economic spheres, without providing details on their immediate content.
On regional issues, their positions were largely aligned. Regarding Gaza, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized the full implementation of the peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, calling for guaranteed delivery of humanitarian aid, prevention of any escalation, and adherence to the two-state solution in accordance with international resolutions.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, denounced any attempt to undermine the agreement and affirmed Turkey’s readiness, alongside Egypt, to contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza.
Regarding Libya, the Egyptian president reaffirmed Cairo’s support for the UN-led approach and a “inter-Libyan” solution, calling for an end to the division of executive power and the departure of foreign fighters.
Erdogan stated that he shared the objective of preserving the unity and integrity of the country.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA
