Ankara’s foreign policy ambitions have taken a new turn as Türkiye intensifies efforts to foster closer ties between NATO and Egypt. This strategic move underscores Türkiye’s evolving role within the alliance, while simultaneously reflecting Ankara’s broader geopolitical calculations in the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. As regional instability persists, particularly in Libya and Gaza, Ankara sees strengthening Cairo’s relations with NATO as a way to bolster both regional security and its own diplomatic leverage.

The roots of Egypt’s cautious attitude toward NATO date back to the alliance’s controversial intervention in Libya in 2011. At the time, Cairo viewed NATO’s military actions not as a solution, but as a catalyst for greater chaos in Libya, exacerbating regional instability and creating dangerous security vacuums. Türkiye, a NATO member, initially shared this skepticism, opposing the intervention due to fears it would lead to deeper turmoil. However, Ankara eventually joined the mission, albeit reluctantly, highlighting the complex balancing act it often faces between alliance commitments and regional instincts.

The Libya intervention contributed significantly to the Middle East’s persistent mistrust of NATO. Public opinion in the region has long been wary of foreign military involvement, and the events in Libya only reinforced perceptions of NATO as an actor willing to disrupt local orders without ensuring stability. Moreover, the absence of a structured strategic dialogue between NATO and key Arab states like Egypt further widened this gap, creating a relationship defined more by suspicion than cooperation.

Today, Türkiye is working to change that narrative. Acting as NATO’s official contact point with Egypt, Türkiye is determined to enhance dialogue, cooperation, and public understanding of the NATO-Egypt relationship. This........

© Blitz