After a 13-year hiatus... Egypt and Turkey resume "Sea of Friendship" naval drills in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Arab Sea Newspaper - News Updates

Arab Sea - Follow-ups: The "Sea of Friendship" exercises between the Egyptian and Turkish naval forces have begun in the eastern Mediterranean, after a 13-year hiatus, in a military step that is a prominent indicator of the restoration of warmth to relations between the two countries and the strengthening of joint action. The Turkish Ministry of Defense said that the exercises, which take place from September 22 to 26, aim to develop bilateral relations and enhance interoperability between the Egyptian and Turkish naval forces. Various units from both sides are participating in the exercises, including the Turkish frigates "Oruç Reis" and "Gediz", the patrol ships "İmbat" and "Bora", and the submarine "Gür", in addition to "F-16" fighter jets. From the Egyptian side, the frigates "Tahya Misr" and "Fouad Zikry" are participating, along with other units. The commanders of the naval forces in the two countries will witness the distinguished observers' day scheduled for September 25. The roots of these exercises date back to 2009, but they stopped in 2013 following strained relations between Cairo and Ankara against the backdrop of the Turkish position on the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood's rule. Their resumption comes after a series of high-level meetings between Presidents Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which reactivated the Strategic Cooperation Council and opened the door for broader cooperation in the fields of defense and military industries. Last August, Cairo and Ankara signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint production of VTOL-UAV combat drones between the "Arab Organization for Industrialization" and the Turkish company "Havelsan", in a step described as the beginning of localizing strategic technologies in the field of defense industries. Observers believe that the resumption of these exercises not only reflects the desire of the two countries to restore confidence and strengthen military cooperation, but also carries regional messages about the balances of maritime security in the eastern Mediterranean, where major international and regional interests intersect.