The focus of today’s Trilateral Leaders’ Meeting between Cyprus, Greece, and Egypt in El Alamein is the state of their intergovernmental relations at the bilateral and trilateral levels, according to official statements, which add that “geopolitical shifts in the region” will be discussed.
It goes without saying that the agenda of topics under discussion will also include the energy sector and progress in the process of developing offshore energy resources.
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However, Cypriot officials have been more specific, noting that the recent new defense cooperation mechanism—better known as the “Mecca Agreement”—which links Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, will also be on the table.
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Will Egypt also be included in the “Mecca Agreement”?
Commenting on this specific point, ALPHA Cyprus’s analyst on Middle East issues and visiting professor of international relations at Panteion University, Gabriel Charitos, pointed out that, for some time now, Nicosia and Athens have been watching with interest the gradual improvement in bilateral relations between Egypt and Turkey.
This development is the result of many factors, including the pivotal role the two countries have assumed in managing the situation in Gaza, the implementation of the Trump Plan, and the need for broader cooperation with the U.S., as well as with the newly established Peace Council. Under the current circumstances, it could be argued that the improvement in Turkish-Egyptian relations is, to some extent, encouraged by U.S. factors.
More specifically, however, with regard to the “Mecca Agreement,” Turkey’s intentions are clear. From the statements of both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, it is clear that Ankara seeks to include Egypt in the new regional defense cooperation framework.
READ ALSO: Christodoulides Arrives in Egypt and Meets with al-Sisi: Bilateral Relations and Regional Developments Take Center Stage
Saudi objections? Egyptian refusal? Or something else?
As Mr. Charitos pointed out, conflicting reports have circulated so far regarding Egypt’s potential participation in the “Mecca Agreement.”
On the one hand, the pro-Qatar news outlet Middle East Eye published leaks suggesting that the inner circle of Saudi Arabia’s strongman, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, suggesting he was “annoyed” by the reluctance of Egyptian President Al-Sisi to provide military assistance to the Saudi armed forces in their fight against the pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen. Specifically, according to the same sources, Riyadh would have expected a different stance from Cairo, especially following the “generous Saudi financial aid,” as it is described, so that Egypt could meet its financial obligations both domestically and to international institutions. In fact, this is reportedly why Saudi Arabia turned to Pakistan, which appeared willing to send military personnel and equipment to Saudi territory —which is exactly what happened.
However, at the same time, Arab and Turkish media have reported that, in the end, it is Egypt that is raising significant objections, making it appear that its refusal to participate in the “Mecca Agreement” is a decision made by Cairo.
Nevertheless, neither version seems entirely convincing, leaving room to assume that the truth “lies somewhere in between.”
According to this line of reasoning, therefore, Nicosia and Athens are called upon to decipher Egypt’s intentions —an issue that is believed to be the actual focus of today’s trilateral meeting in El Alamein, attended by the President of the Republic, Nicos Christodoulides, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The “Thorn” of the Cyprus Issue
Against the backdrop of the dramatic improvement in Egypt-Turkey relations, the well-known “thorn” of the Cyprus issue, with Ankara considered certain to be eager to pressure Egypt to downgrade its relations with the Republic of Cyprus as much as possible.
Until recently, it had not been clear to what extent Turkish pressure on Cairo might have progressed—and, conversely, how strong Egyptian resistance was.
The Catalytic Role of the Kyrenia Shipwreck
The recent shipwreck off the coast of occupied Kyrenia ultimately seems to have provided a clear indication of “where exactly Egypt stands” and the extent to which it seeks to avoid disrupting the status quo.
As Gabriel Charitos noted, indicative of the stance Egypt is adopting regarding the nature of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus, was the specific wording chosen by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the press release it issued on August 30, 2026, following the tragic shipwreck off off the coast of Kyrenia.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its heartfelt condolences “to the friendly Republic of Cyprus, its government and people for the victims of the sinking of the passenger vessel off the northern coast of Cyprus, which resulted in deaths and injuries.”
Commenting on the Egyptian wording, Mr. Charitos emphasized that the government in Cairo does not recognize any other state on the island other than the Republic of Cyprus, without making any mention of the existence of areas on the island that are not under the administrative control of the sole legitimate government.
Egyptian Condolences
This Egyptian wording differs greatly from Turkey’s diplomatic approach, which addressed the “authorities” of the Occupied Territories as if they were an “independent state” (“TRNC”) .
It also differs from how the issue was handled by Azerbaijan’s diplomatic service, which sent a letter of condolence to Turfan Erhürman, referring to him as the “political leader” of the “authorities” controlling the occupied Cypriot territories.
Finally, it is significant that Egypt did not opt for some other, politically neutral wording, reminiscent of the relevant statements by the United Kingdom, the United States, or even the Organization of Turkic States, in which the “authorities” of the occupied territories hold “observer” status within its collective bodies.
Based on these facts, Gabriel Charitos expressed the view that it cannot be ruled out that the wording of this particular Egyptian press release—which is interesting from every perspective— may ultimately have “unlocked” the processes that led to today’s Trilateral Meeting.
Where is Egypt headed?
On the other hand, however, it remains to be seen what Egypt’s final decision will be regarding its accession (or non-accession) to the “Mecca Agreement,” as this is not a politically and strategically neutral agreement on mutual defense cooperation.
It is linked to the shaping of the future energy landscape of the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, especially since it is clear that it does not promote the IMEC energy corridor, which Nicosia and Athens have already chosen.
Watch Gabriel Charitou’s analysis on today’s news program “ALPHA News” on ALPHA Cyprus, hosted by Katia Savva:
