Sharp Israeli fears over Egypt-Turkey maneuvers reshaping regional alliances

In a development that has sparked widespread Israeli concern, Israeli media reported that joint air maneuvers between Egypt and Turkey reflect an unprecedented strategic shift. A report published by the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv stated that the accelerating military rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey is reshaping regional power balances and presenting Tel Aviv with new security challenges.

According to Ma’ariv’s extensive report, Egypt and Turkey have begun joint air training at several Egyptian air bases, encompassing theoretical and practical phases as well as joint operational missions. The newspaper described this step as unprecedented, noting it comes just months after the first joint naval exercise between the two countries in 13 years.

The Israeli newspaper added that the training covers theoretical phases aimed at harmonizing combat concepts and exchanging training expertise, alongside operational sorties focused on joint missions, without disclosing the types or numbers of aircraft involved. It pointed out that this military cooperation coincides with growing indications from Ankara of deep moves between the Egyptian and Turkish presidential palaces to forge a shared political will and lend a strategic character to a series of security, military, and political agreements.

Ma’ariv continued, citing sources close to Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) as revealing a desire to build a new regional strategy in partnership with Egypt. In-depth talks between the two sides have moved into discussions within Turkish parliamentary committees responsible for security, defense, and intelligence. Meanwhile, the United States has asked its diplomatic teams in Cairo and Ankara to provide clarifications regarding the nature of recent security and military communications between the senior officials of the two countries’ defense ministries.

The report noted that U.S. intelligence agencies have recently observed a noticeable increase in the volume, level, and frequency of coordination between the Egyptian and Turkish defense ministries, particularly in military and security fields. This has drawn attention in Washington and led to the transmission of information to the U.S. State Department.

It further highlighted that security and political figures in Germany warned in internal reports of a significant rise in understandings between the Turkish and Egyptian defense ministries. Preliminary discussions are underway regarding the possibility of forming a broader framework for military cooperation that could include other countries, with references to potential talks on a framework for a joint Arab-Islamic military alliance that might involve Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the future. However, these reports remain in the evaluation stage, with no official announcements.

The Israeli newspaper emphasized that the Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement follows years of diplomatic tension and a gradual process of normalizing relations. Any deeper security cooperation could attract the interest of other countries in the eastern Mediterranean, such as Israel, Greece, and Cyprus, which view Turkey as a central player in the regional landscape. It noted that Washington has not yet taken a public position, but its directive to its embassies in Cairo and Ankara indicates that developments between the two countries are under increasing U.S. scrutiny.

Notably, Egyptian-Turkish relations are experiencing a new phase of strategic rapprochement after years of rupture and political tension that began following 2013. The pace of reconciliation has accelerated in the past two years, encompassing the exchange of ambassadors and the signing of cooperation agreements in multiple fields, culminating in direct military cooperation recently manifested in joint naval and air maneuvers.

This rapprochement reflects major geopolitical shifts in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, as both Cairo and Ankara seek to align their security visions to confront rising regional challenges and reorder the balance of power in the region.