The potential impact of the rapprochement between Cairo and Ankara on Egypt’s strategic relations with Cyprus and Greece, which now extends to the areas of defense and military cooperation, is discussed in an article by the major Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, which is based in London.

In a report from Cairo, the Saudi newspaper notes that this development is being closely monitored in Athens and Nicosia, due to their ongoing disputes with Turkey over the Cyprus issue, maritime zones, and energy reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Egyptian analysts who spoke to the newspaper acknowledged that Cairo’s effort to maintain a balance in its relations with the three countries is not easy.

They emphasized, however, that the Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement is not directed against Cyprus or Greece and that, under certain conditions, it could also serve their interests.

Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece, explains Asharq Al-Awsat, have maintained an institutionalized trilateral strategic partnership since 2014. The newspaper notes that ten summits have been held, with the most recent one hosted in Cairo in January 2025.

Recently, it adds, political consultations were also held in the Egyptian capital between the foreign ministers of the three countries, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badri Abdelati, speaking of a “model of cooperation and regional integration,” emphasizing the special nature of Cairo’s relations with Nicosia and Athens.

The newspaper explains that a milestone in the rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey was the signing of a letter of intent on defense cooperation during the visit of Egyptian Defense Minister Asraf Salem Zaher, to Ankara.

The former Egyptian ambassador to Ankara, Raha Ahmed Hassan, noted that Egypt insists that the disputes between Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus can be resolved only through dialogue and negotiations. He also pointed out that Egypt, unlike Turkey, has signed the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

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Source: CNA