In Ankara, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Turkey has agreed to supply its popular drones to Egypt following the recent normalization of relations between the two countries. This comes after a decade of strained ties between the two nations.
On Feb. 14, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Egypt to meet with counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, marking his first visit since the upgrading of relations between Ankara and Cairo, which included the appointment of ambassadors last year.
Fidan revealed in an interview with private A Haber television that Erdogan will hold discussions with Sisi on various topics, including bilateral and regional matters such as trade, energy, and security.
He also stated that the normalization of relations is significant for Egypt in terms of accessing specific technologies. Fidan confirmed that there is an agreement in place for Turkey to provide Egypt with unmanned air vehicles and other technologies, although he did not provide additional details.
The demand for Turkish drones has surged internationally due to their impact on conflicts in countries such as Syria, Libya, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. Notably, Ethiopia, which has strained relations with Egypt over a hydropower dam on the Blue Nile, has also purchased Turkish drones.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
