Ankara wants to build warships with Egypt on the “Pakistan model” – the message from the joint exercise off Alexandria

Ankara wants to transfer to Egypt the cooperation model it applied in Pakistan for warships. This was stated by the commander of the Turkish Navy, Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, on the official observers’ day of the joint exercise “Dostluk Denizi-2026” off Alexandria, speaking in front of his Egyptian counterpart as well.

“By raising our cooperation in the maritime defence industry to a more advanced level, we are aiming at joint shipbuilding activities with Egypt within the MİLGEM programme, like the cooperation we have developed with Pakistan,” Tatlıoğlu said in his speech. He added that this approach will turn relations between the two navies into a “more comprehensive and lasting partnership”.

The Pakistani model is specific. The agreement signed in 2018 by Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production and Turkey’s ASFAT provides for four Babur-class corvettes, with spare parts, training, ammunition and transfer of know-how, so that part of the construction is carried out in Karachi. It is one of the largest warship exports in Turkey’s history, as Ankara markets its ships to twelve countries.

The “Friendship Sea” off Alexandria

The exercise, called “Bahr El Sadaka” in Egypt, ran from November 4 to 9 hosted by the Egyptian Navy. The spokesman of the Egyptian armed forces announced its start in the area of responsibility of the Northern Fleet, where Turkish units had arrived at the Alexandria naval base. The programme began with lectures to harmonise the operational concepts of the two sides.

Turkey sent the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, the frigate TCG Gaziantep and the missile boat TCG Meltem, together with two S-70 helicopters, three AH-1W attack helicopters, three TB-3 drones, SAT special operations teams, amphibious teams and divers. Egypt fielded the helicopter carrier Gamal Abdel Nasser and the ships El Fateh, M. Fahmy, Fouad Zekry, El Farouk and Al-Arish.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said that joint firings and training in ship search and seizure took place on November 6. On November 8, with Tatlıoğlu and Vice Admiral Mahmoud Adel Fawzy present, drone flights, asymmetric-threat scenarios, air defence, naval training and ship inspections followed, despite rough seas.

A rapprochement at sea, with an eye on the maritime zones

The first joint exercise of the two navies in 13 years had taken place in September 2025. The naval rapprochement coincides with Turkish moves on maritime zones: the Turkish defence ministry has said that Turkey is “ready” for a delimitation agreement with Egypt, an issue that directly concerns the Eastern Mediterranean. It is worth recalling that Greece and Egypt have already signed, in August 2020, a partial agreement delimiting their exclusive economic zones.