It has been known for months that Egypt is eyeing certain types of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which it is studying to acquire with Turkish-made armaments. Turkish media report that tomorrow's visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Turkey may prove decisive for the defense cooperation of the two states.
Al-Sisi is said to discuss with Turkish officials the possibility of acquiring Turkish drones, and is likely to tour factories of Turkish manufacturers of such systems. Greece is anxiously awaiting the decision of the Egyptian leader, a decision which, if finally taken, will mean the improvement of relations between Cairo and Ankara.
"Will Egypt 'betray' us?
In more detail, in recent years, there have been efforts to normalize and improve bilateral relations between the two countries. For months, Turkey has been trying to collaborate with Egypt in the field of defense industry, securing an order for drones from the Egyptian armed forces. It is said that since the end of 2023, the two sides have been discussing a potential sale of military equipment.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, publicly confirmed the North African country's interest in acquiring Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Given this, Turkish media outlets are hopeful that Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi will make a final decision in the coming days, especially since he will be arriving in Turkey tomorrow to meet with Turkish officials.
A Turkish source reports that a meeting will take place between Turkish and Egyptian officials under the name 'High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council,' during which, among other things, the potential acquisition of Turkish UAVs by Cairo will be discussed.
We would also like to inform you that at the Egypt International Airshow, which starts today, September 3rd, and ends on the 5th of the month, Turkish companies Baykar and TAI will participate. Baykar, being the largest drone manufacturer in the country, will showcase some of its UAVs during the event. On the other hand, TAI will conduct flight demonstrations of the new HÜRJET training aircraft.
Finally, it should be noted that it is still not known which types of Turkish drones the Egyptian Air Force is interested in purchasing. The most popular models from Ankara today are the Akinci, the Anka, the Bayraktar TB2, and the Aksungur.
