Ashraf AboArafe
Cairo – The Crossroads of Shared Aspirations.. In a comprehensive half-year press conference for 2026 attended by a wide array of media representatives, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, delivered a transparent and deeply insightful address. The Ambassador emphasized that his statements carry official confirmation of the strengthening ties between the two nations, noting that Türkiye and Egypt are bound by deep emotional and historical roots spanning a thousand years. “Egypt’s joy is our joy, and Egypt’s sorrow is our sorrow,” he stated.
Sports and Bread: The Pulse of the People
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A Historic World Cup Journey: Ambassador Şen warmly congratulated the Egyptian national football team on qualifying for the Round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup, calling it a historic milestone that matches the immense potential of a vibrant nation of 120 million people. He declared the Turkish people’s full support for the Pharaohs in their upcoming clash against Australia, wishing them a safe passage to the Round of 16. Furthermore, he praised Egypt’s growing grassroots sports investments (such as the ZED Club and the Mansour family academy) for cultivating youth talent.
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The Economic Backbone: Describing commercial and economic relations as the main artery of bilateral ties, the Ambassador announced that 2025 concluded with a robust and perfectly balanced trade volume of $8 billion (evenly split between the exports of both countries).
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A Projected Historic Record: He revealed that the first four months of 2026 witnessed a 15% growth, reaching $3 billion. If this trajectory continues, trade is projected to hit a historic milestone of $9 billion by the end of 2026. Egypt remains Türkiye’s top trading partner in Africa, while Türkiye proudly maintains its position among Egypt’s top five global trading partners and top three export markets.
Logistics Arteries and Investment Harvests
To sustain this commercial boom, Ambassador Şen underscored the vital need to upgrade transport infrastructure:
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Maritime and Air Connectivity: He anticipated positive developments in the coming weeks regarding RORO (Roll-on/roll-off) shipping lines. He also shared his long-term dream of connecting both nations via a direct railway network within the next decade. In aviation, AJet has boosted its flights from Ankara to Cairo from 3 to 5 weekly trips and launched an Alexandria-Istanbul route, alongside increased operations by Egyptian carriers.
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The Hub for Turkish Investments: Turkish investments are set to exceed $500 million this year, with corporations prioritizing Egypt globally due to its favorable investment climate and the strong backing of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
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New Industrial Zones: The Ambassador announced highly anticipated openings this year in West Qantara, 10th of Ramadan City, and Ain Sokhna. Notably, Polaris Industrial Parks has officially entered the execution phase to build a mega industrial zone housing 500 factories in the New Administrative Capital. This comes alongside new ventures in sock manufacturing, ceramics, and a major upcoming project in Minya Governorate within the next two to three years.
Regional Alignment: Gaza, Libya, and Sudan
Ambassador Şen reaffirmed that Ankara and Cairo maintain tight diplomatic and intelligence coordination to preserve regional stability:
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The Gaza Crisis and Regional De-escalation: He highlighted the intense joint diplomatic and intelligence channels—exemplified by the high-profile meeting between intelligence chiefs İbrahim Kalın and Hassan Rashad—aimed at pushing for the second phase of the Gaza peace plan despite Israeli obstacles, alongside quadrilateral talks to prevent escalation with Iran.
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Defending Arab Territorial Integrity: He stressed a firm, unified stance supporting the unity, sovereignty, and stability of Libya and Sudan, while strongly rejecting partition agendas in Somalia, Syria, and Iraq. “Egypt is the true heart, cultural nucleus, and political center of the Arab world,” he affirmed.
Military and Security Cooperation: Shield of Stability
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The Valiant Egyptian Military: The Ambassador lauded the military framework agreement signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s historic visit to Cairo on February 4, which has translated into joint air maneuvers (such as the Anatolian Eagle) and high-level exchanges. This was highlighted by the Turkish Chief of Staff’s historic reception at the “Octagon” in the New Administrative Capital—making him the first foreign chief of staff to be received at the world’s largest military headquarters. “The brotherly Egyptian army is strong and heroic; it will forever remain a vital guarantor of stability in the Middle East,” Şen stated.
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Security Partnerships: He pointed to the successful visit of the General Commander of the Turkish Gendarmerie, General Ali Çardakcı, to Cairo to boost security cooperation with the Egyptian Police in combating smuggling and narcotics, teasing an upcoming reciprocal visit by Egypt’s Minister of Interior to Türkiye.
A Tribute to Egyptian Diplomacy
Ambassador Şen concluded the conference with a profound tribute to the elite, highly capable school of Egyptian diplomacy. He offered an official salute of gratitude to the outgoing Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, praising his wisdom and pivotal role in championing Arab-Turkish relations. He reiterated that Türkiye views the Arab League as a vital collective house for brotherly nations whose stability is entirely inseparable from Türkiye’s own.
