Egypt, Turkey push energy ties in Azerbaijan talks amid Hormuz crisis
Egypt and Turkey are moving to deepen energy cooperation as Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts Gulf energy flows, increasing the significance of Eastern Mediterranean energy infrastructure.
ANKARA — Egypt and Turkey are seeking to deepen energy cooperation after their energy ministers met in Baku this week, as the two countries move to translate their recent rapprochement into broader economic ties.
What happened: Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi met Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar in the Azerbaijani capital on Monday, where the two discussed expanding cooperation in energy and mining, according to a statement from Egypt’s State Information Service.
The talks focused on hydrocarbons, sharing know-how on energy and mining projects, attracting company-level investment, and the possible use of Egyptian and Turkish infrastructure to support Eastern Mediterranean energy security, according to the statement.
The forum comes as Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts Gulf energy flows, adding urgency to efforts to diversify supply routes and raising the importance of Caspian and Eastern Mediterranean energy infrastructure.
Background: The Baku talks are the latest step in a growing energy cooperation track between Egypt and Turkey.
The two countries took a concrete step last year, when Turkey’s state energy company, BOTAS, signed a contract with Egypt’s state gas buyer, EGAS, to deploy a Turkish floating LNG storage and regasification unit in Egypt over the summer.
The two capitals have since sought to broaden that cooperation. In April, Badawi and Bayraktar met in Istanbul, where they discussed forming working groups on hydrocarbons, mining investment and the possible use of both countries’ infrastructure.
Why it matters: For Turkey, growing energy cooperation with Egypt offers a way to export energy infrastructure and services beyond its own market. The 2025 BOTAS-EGAS deal underscored that potential, marking the first Turkish overseas assignment for a Turkish floating LNG storage and regasification unit.
The export of Turkish energy infrastructure to Egypt offers commercial access to one of North Africa’s largest energy markets and creates opportunities for Turkish energy companies beyond their domestic market.
For Egypt, the added import capacity has become more important as falling domestic production forces Cairo to rely more heavily on LNG cargoes. Egypt’s gas production dropped to 3.485 billion cubic feet per day in April 2025, down from a peak of 6.133 billion cubic feet per day in March 2021, according to figures from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative, an international energy data platform.
The talks have gained further relevance as Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts Gulf energy flows and drives up import costs, raising the value of flexible LNG infrastructure and alternative supply routes for energy-importing countries including Turkey and Egypt.
Know more: The two countries have moved to rebuild ties after years of rivalry, with energy emerging as one of the practical tracks in the rapprochement.
During Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest visit to Cairo in February 2026, he reiterated his country’s goal to increase bilateral trade volume to $15 billion from its current level of $9 billion. Egypt is Turkey’s largest trade partner in Africa.
