Within the scope of the official visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt led by H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, the Business Forums organized by DEİK were held on February 3–4, 2026. The final stop of the visits was Egypt.
The Egypt–Türkiye Business Forum, jointly organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK), the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones of Egypt (GAFI), was held on February 4, 2026, in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, with the participation of H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye; H.E. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt; H.E. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Trade of Türkiye; H.E. Hassan El Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Egypt; DEİK President Nail Olpak; TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu; Deputy Minister of Trade of Türkiye Mustafa Tuzcu; DEİK/Türkiye–Egypt Business Council Chairperson Mustafa Denizer; and more than 850 businesspeople from both countries.
President Erdoğan stated: "We are two major countries located at the center of developments that dominate the international agenda. We are witnessing together that our cooperation contributes not only to our countries but also to the stability of our region. We aim to utilize this especially in the fields of investment and trade in the most efficient way."
Emphasizing that Egypt is Türkiye's largest trading partner in Africa and that bilateral trade volume has exceeded USD 8 billion, President Erdoğan said: "Türkiye ranks third among Egypt's export destinations with a share of 7.4%, and seventh among its import partners with a share of 3.4%. These figures encourage and motivate us; however, we are still below our target of USD 15 billion in trade volume. Together with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, we will continue our close cooperation with determination to reach this target. We expect positive developments from our Egyptian friends regarding the resolution of issues our investors may face in residence permits, work permits, and licensing."
Erdoğan: "We are open to all proposals on the road to the USD 15 billion trade target."
President Erdoğan noted that Egypt currently ranks as the second-largest destination for Turkish investments, expressing satisfaction that Türkiye's investments in Egypt, approaching USD 4 billion, support employment for 100,000 Egyptians. He highlighted the success of Turkish companies in sectors such as textiles, chemicals, glass, hygiene products, manufacturing, and tourism, and expressed hope that Turkish firms would take part in the construction of 14 new smart cities planned under Egypt's 2030 Vision. Stating that there is much more to be done in energy, mining, and raw materials, President Erdoğan also underlined the importance of restarting Ro-Ro shipping services, which first began in 2012, for mutual benefit. He added: "With Egypt's strategic position in global maritime transportation due to the Suez Canal, we can also cooperate in shipbuilding. We are always ready for this on a ‘win-win' basis. As you can see, there are tremendous cooperation opportunities between our two countries. Those who will realize these opportunities are you, with our support. As long as you work, produce, and create employment, we will continue to pave the way for you. We are open to all proposals on the path to the USD 15 billion trade target."
El-Sisi: "Türkiye is one of the most important destinations for Egyptian exports."
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed his deep appreciation for the business communities of both countries for achieving increasing momentum in economic and trade cooperation in recent years.
He stated that the Egypt–Türkiye Business Forum highlights the importance of the economic partnership between the two countries, adding: "The economic relations between Egypt and Türkiye are built on solid and practical foundations. Strong economic integration, geographical and cultural proximity, and political and commercial will have contributed to reaching unprecedented levels of trade and investment cooperation. Egypt is Türkiye's most important trade partner in Africa, and Türkiye is one of the main destinations for Egyptian exports. Turkish investments in Egypt have exceeded USD 4 billion. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, President Erdoğan and I agreed today that the full potential of cooperation has not yet been realized."
El-Sisi: "I particularly appreciate the successful experience of Turkish ready-to-wear and textile investors."
President El-Sisi noted that global developments require supply chains to become more localized and closer to markets, emphasizing the importance of integrating Turkish industrial expertise with Egypt's advantages. He pointed to joint cooperation opportunities in priority sectors such as automotive and spare parts, chemicals, metals, and household appliances, particularly in technologically significant fields.
Commending the successful experience of Turkish ready-to-wear and textile investors operating in Egypt, he said: "The contributions of these investors have a significant and effective share in Egypt's exports abroad in this sector. Furthermore, we welcome the expansion of Turkish investments in other sectors such as chemicals and healthcare industries. These investments create real added value, generate employment, and contribute to the transfer of knowledge and expertise in industry and technology."
Olpak: "Egypt serves as a key bridge not only to Africa but also to international markets."
DEİK President Nail Olpak stated: "The Free Trade Agreement between Egypt and Türkiye is a crucial foundation for improving our trade relations. Our bilateral trade reached around USD 8 billion in 2025. Turkish businesspeople have recently accelerated their investments in the region. Today, we are proud of Turkish investments in Egypt exceeding USD 3 billion and providing employment for 100,000 people. Egypt serves as an important bridge for Turkish companies not only to Africa but also to international markets. Our goal is to increase the trade volume to USD 15 billion within a reasonable timeframe."
Highlighting the strong potential for logistics cooperation, Olpak continued: "Tourism is a significant area of cooperation. Through joint projects, we should further enhance the tourism potential of both Egypt and Türkiye. In industry, particularly in textiles and ready-to-wear sectors, we can strengthen our cooperation through joint production models and export to third markets, especially Africa and the Middle East. In energy, the transition to renewable energy, storage solutions, and diversification of energy supply sources are shared objectives. By working together, we can achieve these goals faster. Türkiye has made major breakthroughs in the defense industry. Cooperation in this field is also important for regional security and stability. To have a stronger voice in the future economy, we should also collaborate in digital transformation sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, and artificial intelligence, as well as in providing financial solutions necessary for the development of all our investment and trade relations."
The forum sponsors were Polaris Parks and the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK).
