Türkiye, Egypt defense ministers hold talks in Ankara

National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler hosted Egyptian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salim Zahir at the ministry headquarters in Ankara on Monday for high-level talks on bilateral defense cooperation. The Egyptian commander-in-chief arrived as Güler’s official guest for the one-day working visit.

Following a formal military ceremony that included the playing of both countries’ national anthems, Zahir inspected the guard of honor alongside his Turkish counterpart. The ministers subsequently moved to closed-door negotiations at the National Defense Ministry, according to a statement from Güler’s office.

Bilateral defense ties

Zahir serves simultaneously as Egypt’s minister of defense and military production and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, holding the highest military authority in Cairo’s chain of command. His visit to Ankara reflects the continuing normalization of defense ties between Türkiye and Egypt, which have advanced through intelligence cooperation and naval coordination in recent months.

The closed-door session focused on bilateral defense industry projects and regional security challenges, though no formal communiqué was issued following the talks. Zahir’s delegation includes senior officials from the Egyptian military production sector, underscoring Cairo’s interest in expanding technical partnerships with Ankara’s defense manufacturers.