Arms production to air defense: Inside $350M Egypt-Turkey military pact
Ankara and Cairo's military framework agreement goes beyond arms sales, reflecting a gradual strategic convergence that includes intelligence sharing in third countries.
ANKARA — A new military framework agreement signed by Egypt and Turkey will open the door to joint arms production, air defense cooperation and intelligence sharing after more than a decade of strained relations, according to new details that emerged Monday.
The agreement was signed on Feb. 5 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, during Erdogan’s visit to Cairo.
What’s in the deal: At the core of the deal is a roughly $350 million defense cooperation package between Turkey’s state-owned arms maker MKE and Egypt’s Defense Ministry, covering air defense exports and joint ammunition production in Egypt, Turkey’s pro-government Yeni Safak reported Monday. The package includes Turkey’s export of a short-range air defense system designed to counter drones and low-flying aircraft alongside plans to build a 155mm artillery ammunition factory in Egypt and establish production lines for 7.62mm and 12.7mm rounds.
A joint venture company will be established under the deal to oversee the new production facilities, with the explicit goal of turning Egypt into a regional defense manufacturing hub serving Africa and the Middle East, Egyptian media reported.
