Türkiye: Egypt's envoy says Cairo, Ankara working together for regional peace, stability (2).

SHOTLIST: ANKARA, TÜRKİYE (JUL. 16, 2026) 1. EGYPT'S AMBASSADOR TO TÜRKİYE WAEL BADAWI SPEAKING TO ANADOLU REPORTER (English)ANKARA, TÜRKİYE - JUL. 16: Egypt's Ambassador to Türkiye Wael Badawi said Egypt and Türkiye are strategic partners and key regional and international actors working together to promote stability and peace across the region. In an interview with Anadolu, Badawi said cooperation between the two countries extends beyond political issues such as Gaza and Iran to include the environment, culture, and the economy. Having arrived in Ankara in September 2025, Badawi said Egypt and Türkiye had celebrated the centenary of diplomatic relations last year, while noting that ties between the two countries date back centuries and are reinforced by strong people-to-people relations. He said the breadth of cooperation requires close coordination across many fields and is reflected in frequent high-level visits. Recalling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Egypt on Feb. 4, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Badawi said the leaders held the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and signed memoranda of understanding in a range of areas. "We are happy to have this strategic partnership between Egypt and Türkiye. It is a strategic partnership. It is a symbol of cooperation. It really testifies to the strength of the relation between the two countries," he said. - Expanding defense cooperation Badawi said Egypt's Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of Defense and Military Production Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salim Zahir visited Ankara last week to strengthen cooperation in defense and the defense industry. "You have a very developed defense industry. In Egypt too, we have a quite advanced defense industry, and therefore, we are trying to see how both countries can cooperate in this area," he said. He added that the two countries also aim to deepen cooperation in areas including the environment, trade, education, and science, with additional high-level visits planned to advance practical collaboration. - 'Egypt and Türkiye are important regional and international actors' Badawi said Egypt and Türkiye, as leading regional actors, are working together to promote stability and peace. "Egypt and Türkiye are major regional players and international players. They are both strong countries, and they work together for stability and peace in the region, promoting peace, comprehensive and sustainable development, and safeguarding respect for international law," he said. He said a platform bringing together Egypt, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan seeks to explore ways to cooperate economically, socially, and politically for the benefit of the region's people. Badawi said Cairo and Ankara cooperate not only on Gaza but on the broader Palestinian issue. "We also witnessed the atrocities and what happened after the seventh of October. It is really a tragedy," he said. He added that the two countries work together both bilaterally and through regional frameworks, while sharing common cultural, social, and family values. - Egypt, Türkiye support 2-state solution Badawi said both countries remain committed to a two-state solution for Palestine. "We are both working for the two-state solution for Palestine. We both oppose and reject any attempts to have Palestinians leave their country. "This is their country. The hospitals need to be rehabilitated. The schools need to be rehabilitated. There has to be a reconstruction effort," he said. Referring to US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace initiative, Badawi said Egypt and Türkiye are working together to support its implementation. "We are still in phase one of this plan. We want to move to phase two, but Israel still needs to honor its obligations in phase one so that we can move to phase two," he said. - Calls for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and Syria Badawi said Israel's military actions in Lebanon remain a concern. "We emphasize and stress the need for full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon," he said. On Syria, he said: "We strongly condemn and reject the Israeli incursions into Syria and the occupation of Syrian territories. Israel must withdraw from the Syrian territories it occupies. "We strongly ask for respect for Syria's territorial integrity and national sovereignty. This is very important for us." - US-Iran tensions should be resolved through diplomacy Commenting on the continued tensions between the US and Iran, Badawi said Egypt's position aligns with Türkiye's. "There can be no military solution to this conflict. It has to be done through diplomacy," he said. He noted that Egypt and Türkiye are working together to encourage the implementation of the memorandum of understanding reached by the parties. "W