Türkiye and Egypt have held two Friendship Sea naval exercises: in September 2025, the first joint naval drill between the two navies in 13 years, and Friendship Sea-2026 (Bahr El Sadaka) off Alexandria on 4–9 November 2026. No date or venue has been announced for a third edition, but Türkiye’s navy chief has set out goals that go beyond exercises.
Friendship Sea 2025: the restart
The 2025 exercise ran from 22 to 26 September 2025 in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was the first joint naval exercise between the two navies in 13 years, the previous one having taken place in 2012, as Envanter Medya reported. Military Africa reported that Turkish frigates, submarines and F-16s took part. Daily Sabah also covered the drills.
Friendship Sea-2026: bigger decks, new drones
Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence announced the 2026 exercise at its weekly briefing on 28 October. Hosted by Egypt off Alexandria, it covered surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, air defence and underwater attack training (Envanter Medya, citing the ministry).
| Türkiye | Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Ships | TCG Anadolu, TCG Gaziantep, TCG Meltem | Gamal Abdel Nasser, M. Fahmy, El Fateh, Fouad Zekry, El Farouk, Al-Arish |
| Aircraft and unmanned systems | Two SH-70, three AH-1W, three Bayraktar TB3, MKE PİRANA kamikaze USV | Not itemised in sources |
The unit list comes from Türkiye Today and DefenseandTech. Our news report on the exercise’s close is here: Türkiye eyes joint MILGEM warships with Egypt.
What comes next, according to officials
Turkish Navy commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu listed several aims (Türkiye Today):
- joint shipbuilding along MILGEM lines;
- joint use of Turkish missiles, torpedoes and mines;
- cooperation on UAVs and unmanned surface vessels;
- sharing mine-warfare experience.
The Turkish defence ministry also repeated its readiness to sign a maritime jurisdiction delimitation agreement with Egypt, Envanter Medya reported, citing the 28 October briefing.
What is not known
- No date or venue has been announced for a third Friendship Sea exercise.
- No contract has been announced for joint shipbuilding or weapons use.
FAQ
When was Friendship Sea-2026?
From 4 to 9 November 2026, off Alexandria.
When did Türkiye and Egypt last hold a naval exercise before 2025?
In 2012, according to Envanter Medya.
Which Turkish ships took part in 2026?
TCG Anadolu, TCG Gaziantep and TCG Meltem.
Sources
- Envanter Medya — Friendship Sea-2026 concludes, 9 Nov 2026
- Türkiye Today — navy chief on joint warship building, 9 Nov 2026
- DefenseandTech — Türkiye–Egypt joint warship building, 9 Nov 2026
- Military Africa — Egypt–Türkiye deal, 14 Feb 2026
- Daily Sabah — Türkiye and Egypt bond over Med drills
Featured image: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Antonio Garcia via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Illustrative photo.