The visit of Egyptian Defense Minister Ashraf Salem Zaher to Turkey, the first of its kind, is causing a state of wariness in Israeli circles, coinciding with Israeli allegations that Ankara is shipping attack drones to Cairo as part of a growing strategic rapprochement between the two countries.

Egyptian-Turkish relations have seen a notable improvement since 2023, following political understandings that ended a diplomatic rift that lasted more than 12 years.

This concern expressed by Israel through 'baseless allegations' will continue, according to a military and strategic expert who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, until the upcoming Israeli elections in October, as the current government seeks any issues to occupy the domestic front.

The Israeli platform 'Natziv Net', specializing in security issues, claimed to have observed an airlift transporting advanced attack drones to the Egyptian West Owainat base, alleging that this reflects a development in the military partnership between the two capitals amid their overlapping roles in regional files.

These allegations are not the first to escalate regarding the Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement, which grew in 2023 after understandings ended a political rift lasting more than 12 years. Last June, the Israeli newspaper 'Maariv' claimed that U.S. intelligence had observed unusual activity, indicating that Egypt and Turkey 'are quietly working to enhance broad military cooperation that may include arms deals that shift the balance of power.'

Last May, 'Maariv' also published an article by retired General Yitzhak Brik, who did not rule out Tel Aviv entering a 'difficult war' against the Turkish-Egyptian alliance, as the two countries enhance their military capabilities. He asserted then that any military rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey could redraw the maps of deterrence in the region and pose new security challenges for Israel, requiring a comprehensive reassessment of its military doctrine and defense strategies.

Israel's Crisis Major General Osama Kabeer, advisor at the Command and Staff College and military and strategic expert, believes that Israel is experiencing a severe internal crisis whose effects will become clear in October with the elections, in which the Israeli government is likely to fall if there are no wars in the region. He noted that 'the Israeli allegations will continue until the election results and will stop if Benjamin Netanyahu falls.'

Kabeer confirmed that what Tel Aviv claims about Egyptian-Turkish relations is 'talk aimed at domestic consumption, an attempt to create a fictitious danger to scare the public, and to spread misinformation to sway Israeli public opinion and ensure the survival of the current government.'

Egyptian Defense Minister in Turkey at the head of a high-level military delegation (Turkish Ministry of Defense)

The new Israeli allegations come on the heels of the Egyptian defense minister's visit, who held a meeting on Monday with his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler in Ankara, according to what the Turkish Ministry of Defense reported on its Facebook page, where it published a photo showing the two ministers inspecting drone structures.

For his part, Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Şen stated that the Egyptian defense minister's visit culminated in the signing of a letter of intent aimed at pushing defense and military cooperation between Turkey and Egypt to more robust levels.

Earlier this month, Mutlu Şen said in a press conference at the embassy that 'security cooperation and military relations between Turkey and Egypt are going very well,' stressing that 'the growing relations between the Turkish and Egyptian armies will contribute, in a broader sense, to the peace, security, and stability of the region and the entire world.'

On Sunday, the Egyptian army announced in a statement that the defense minister 'left the country heading to Turkey at the head of a high-level military delegation on an official visit at the invitation of the Turkish defense minister, to hold a number of talks to support prospects for military cooperation between the armed forces of both countries in many fields.'

Last May, Egyptian Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Khalifa paid an official visit to Turkey, during which he met with his Turkish counterpart Metin Gürak, as part of the fourth meeting of the Joint Military Committee between the two countries, discussing ways to develop military cooperation, especially in the fields of training and expertise exchange.

Development of Cooperation Military cooperation between Egypt and Turkey has seen remarkable development since 2023 with the return of full diplomatic relations and exchange of presidential visits, which has been reflected in the field of defense industries. The two countries resumed joint exercises 'Friendship Sea' and agreed to cooperate in the joint manufacturing of drones, and Cairo joined the Turkish fifth-generation stealth aircraft program 'KAAN'.

Part of the meeting between the Turkish defense minister and his Egyptian counterpart in Ankara (Turkish Ministry of Defense)

Last February, Egypt and Turkey signed a 'military cooperation agreement' in Cairo in the presence of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was visiting the Egyptian capital at the time. In August 2025, Egypt and Turkey signed an agreement for the joint manufacturing of vertical takeoff and landing drones.

Thriving Cooperation Regarding the nature of the relationship between Cairo and Ankara, Osama Kabeer affirms that Egyptian-Turkish cooperation is demanded and necessary, given the political, military, and historical weight of the two countries.

He stresses the need to distinguish between military cooperation and a military alliance; what binds Egypt and Turkey is a thriving military cooperation that includes joint exercises, military manufacturing, exchange of military attachés, and coordination on regional issues, not an alliance in the sense that obliges them to enter joint wars.

In this regard, he pointed to the 'Friendship Sea' maneuvers that resumed between the two countries last September after a 12-year hiatus, in addition to mutual diplomatic and military visits, and coordination between intelligence agencies and political leaderships, stressing that they are of great importance in the framework of cooperation and ensuring the security and stability of the region.

\"); googletag.cmd.push(function() { onDvtagReady(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-3341368-4'); }); }); }

These moves come at a time when the region is witnessing successive geopolitical tensions, amid questions about the nature of emerging alliances and their impact on the balance of power. Military experts stress that the threats promoted by Israeli parties may be linked to the domestic political context and changes in the electoral landscape, making monitoring future military cooperation steps between Cairo and Ankara a vital indicator for measuring shifts in regional policies.