Türkiye and Egypt are moving toward a landmark defense cooperation as Cairo prepares to join Ankara’s domestically developed Kaan fighter jet program, signaling not only closer bilateral ties but also a potential shift in the Middle East’s military balance, a report said.
According to The Arab Weekly, Egypt’s strategic move could reshape a regional equation long tilted in Israel’s favor, where Tel Aviv has maintained air dominance for decades with U.S. backing.
Experts say the military cooperation marks not an endpoint but a new beginning, as Ankara and Cairo aim to boost defense industry self-sufficiency and reduce external reliance. Though the process was once discreet, it is now moving openly, with both sides careful not to burn bridges with Washington and the EU, the report said.
Interest in the Kaan project was first raised in September 2024 during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s visit to Ankara, where he also expressed interest in Türkiye’s “Iron Dome”-style air defense system. Subsequent visits by Egyptian air force delegations and the May 2025 trip of Egypt’s armed forces chief Gen. Ahmad Khalifa deepened the dialogue, covering training, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing.
Diplomatic sources expect a formal agreement for Egypt’s participation in the Kaan program to be signed by year’s end, a step that could alter the air power balance away from its current U.S.- and Israel-leaning trajectory.
Türkiye’s fighter jet initiative has also drawn interest from Spain and the United Arab Emirates, potentially lowering costs, accelerating production, and bolstering R&D investment—making Kaan a shared regional asset rather than a solely national project.
Kaan is a fifth-generation warplane that Türkiye has worked on for almost a decade. The jet was first publicly unveiled in 2023 before it performed its maiden test flight in early 2024.
Its serial production is expected to begin in 2028.
