Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Turkey on Wednesday for the first time in 12 years, as the two regional powers work to repair relations that were severely strained after the ouster of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-backed president in 2013.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan greeted Sisi with a guard of honor at the presidential palace in Ankara, signaling a new chapter in the countries’ diplomatic ties.
The visit comes after Erdoğan’s trip to Cairo in February, where he and Sisi discussed increasing economic and political cooperation. Relations between Ankara and Cairo had deteriorated sharply when Sisi, then Egypt’s army chief, led the ouster of Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Erdoğan. However, the two leaders have worked to rebuild trust over the last few years, with mutual diplomatic efforts that included restoring ambassadors in 2023.
During Wednesday’s meeting Sisi and Erdoğan co-chaired the inaugural session of the Turkey-Egypt High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, aimed at boosting economic and political ties. The two countries are expected to sign around 20 agreements in various sectors, including defense, energy, tourism, health and culture, according to Turkish state media. The leaders have set a goal to increase bilateral trade from $10 billion to $15 billion in the short term.
In addition to economic cooperation, regional issues such as the ongoing Gaza conflict were on the agenda. The two leaders are expected to discuss their roles in negotiating peace in Gaza, as well as in broader regional cooperation.
Sisi’s visit, at Erdoğan’s invitation, is seen as a continuation of Turkey’s diplomatic efforts to thaw relations with estranged regional neighbors, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Turkey has also promised to provide Egypt with armed drones as part of deepening defense ties.
A joint press conference is scheduled to take place later in the day, following the agreement-signing ceremony.