Turkey signs $350m arms deal with Egypt

Turkish arms supplier Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) has signed a major export agreement with the Egyptian Ministry of Defence, which includes the sale of ammunition and the establishment of production lines in Egypt.

Sources familiar with the agreement told Middle East Eye that the total value of the deal is $350m.

The agreement was signed during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Egypt on Wednesday, where he met with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi.

Following a prolonged period of strained relations after the Sisi‑led military takeover in Egypt in 2013, the two countries successfully initiated a rapprochement in 2023, appointing ambassadors to each other.

Ankara and Cairo have since gradually deepened their ties, particularly following Israel’s war on Gaza, sharing overlapping interests ranging from Somalia and Sudan to broader regional security issues.

In an official statement on Thursday, the Turkish defence ministry said that under the agreement, the state‑owned defence company MKE will export the Tolga Short‑Range Air Defence System to Egypt.