Türkiye-Egypt ties are 'at excellent level,' says Turkish foreign minister

Relations between Türkiye and Egypt are "at an excellent level" under the leadership of the two countries' presidents, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday.

Ties between the two nations are progressing in a way that promotes prosperity and stability in the entire region, Fidan told a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in the Egyptian city of El Alamein.

He also said the two countries share the "same stance" on neighboring Libya's unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty, and indivisibility.

On the interest shown in Egypt over the transfer of football star Mohamed Salah to Turkish side Trabzonspor, Fidan said the enthusiasm has effectively brought the Turkish and Egyptian peoples closer together.

Fidan said that during his current two-day visit to Egypt, the two sides reviewed the roadmap for the next High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting, which Türkiye is expected to host in 2028.

He described the meeting as particularly important for economic and commercial relations.

"We hope to reach our $15 billion trade volume target," he said.

Fidan also said he and Mohamed Farid Saleh, Egypt's investment and foreign trade minister, signed a decision amending the countries' free trade agreement to help businesspeople operate under more favorable conditions.

He added that Egypt also joined a memorandum of understanding on strengthening connectivity that Türkiye previously signed with several African countries.

Fidan said cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt is developing across all fields, including military relations through reciprocal visits and joint exercises.

"Türkiye favors regional policies in the Eastern Mediterranean that prioritize dialogue and cooperation rather than polarization and confrontation," he said, adding that Ankara wants to strengthen maritime cooperation with Egypt in a way that serves both countries' interests.