As part of the Egyptian Armed Forces commitment to strengthening military cooperation with brotherly and friendly nations, Lieutenant General Amr Saqr, Commander of the Egyptian Air Force, met with General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, Commander of the Turkish Air Force, and his accompanying delegation during their official visit to the Air Force Headquarters.
The meeting addressed a number of topics of mutual interest in light of the fruitful cooperation between the Egyptian and Turkish Air Forces, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
During the meeting, the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts to achieve shared interests, expressing his aspiration for the coming period to witness further rapprochement in relations in a manner that serves the interests of both the Egyptian and Turkish Air Forces.
For his part, the Commander of the Turkish Air Force highlighted the depth of the partnership and bilateral cooperation between the Air Forces of the two friendly countries.
On the sidelines of the visit, the Commander of the Turkish Air Force toured a number of Egyptian Air Force units to review the latest training and armament systems recently introduced into service.
Earlier this month, Turkey and Egypt formalised a $350 million defense cooperation package focusing on both the direct export of advanced hardware and the establishment of local manufacturing capabilities.
By combining Turkish technical expertise with Egyptian industrial infrastructure, the deal positions Egypt as a primary manufacturing hub for military hardware intended for regional and continental distribution.
The agreement was finalized between Turkey’s state owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation, known as MKE, and the Egyptian Ministry of Defense. This framework military agreement emerged from high-level talks in Cairo between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
A central feature of the pact is the creation of a Joint Venture (JV) company designed to manage new production facilities and enhance the export potential of defense products across Africa and the Middle East, Military Africa reported.
A substantial portion of the deal, valued at $130 million, involves the export of the Tolga short-range air defense system to Egypt. The Tolga system is a modular platform designed to detect, track, and neutralize a variety of aerial threats. It is specifically optimized to counter drones, low-flying aircraft, and emerging missile technologies.
Beyond the immediate acquisition of air defense systems, the remaining $220 million of the package is dedicated to industrial investments within Egypt. A primary objective is the construction of a 155mm long-range artillery ammunition factory.
The agreement also includes the establishment of production lines for 7.62mm and 12.7mm small arms ammunition. These facilities will not only supply the Egyptian Armed Forces but will also serve as a source for regional exports.
The momentum of this partnership is reflected in several supplementary agreements signed throughout 2025. In March 2025, the two nations entered a strategic agreement to produce advanced unmanned ground vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) locally in Cairo. This was followed on August 27, 2025, by a partnership between the Turkish defense firm Havelsan and Egypt’s Arab Organisation for Industrialization. (Photo © Egyptian Ministry of Defense)
