Türkiye and Egypt have agreed to exchange ambassadors for the first time in a decade in an effort to restore full diplomatic ties, which have been strained since a military coup in Egypt in 2013, Ankara announced Tuesday.

Pending final approval from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Amr Elhamamy will represent Egypt in Ankara while Türkiye nominated Salih Mutlu Şen, who currently serves as its charge d'affaires, to become its ambassador in Cairo, a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

"This step aims to establish normal relations between the two countries once again and demonstrates their mutual determination to work toward enhancing their bilateral relations for the best interest of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples," the statement said.

On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also lauded the move, saying, "It marks a key stage in normalization efforts and will work to further advance ties."

"As regional powers, Türkiye and Egypt cannot afford to stay apart due to historical, geographical, cultural strategic and religious ties," he told a press conference alongside his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Ankara.

The move comes as Ankara and Cairo have been taking steps to break the ice in recent years, starting with consultations between senior Foreign Ministry officials in Ankara and Cairo in 2021.

Normalization between the two accelerated after el-Sissi and Erdoğan shook hands in Doha at the World Cup in 2022 and began to take off following the deadly February earthquakes in Türkiye and Erdoğan’s reelection in May.

When he called to congratulate the Turkish leader on his victory, Erdoğan even invited el-Sissi to Türkiye, which the Egyptian president welcomed. According to Turkish media, el-Sissi could visit Ankara later this month now that the Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, holiday, has ended. Many interpreted the phone call as a "confirmation of a strong political will to advance relations."

Fidan, who played a significant role in reviving strained relations between the two countries, might visit Egypt in the next three months, as well, diplomatic sources said.

Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Egypt have been maintained at the level of charge d'affaires on both sides since Egypt's 2013 military coup, which overthrew the late President Mohammed Morsi.

Egypt's history tangled with Ottoman rule in Türkiye kept the two countries, located on opposite sides of the Mediterranean Sea, close for centuries. Relations renewed in 1925 when the fledgling Republic of Türkiye established diplomatic ties with Cairo, but it took over two decades before Türkiye appointed an ambassador to Egypt.

Relations have mainly been stable except for short periods of suspension in the 1960s, but they reached new heights when Morsi was elected president in 2012. After Morsi was toppled, Türkiye maintained contact with Cairo before downgrading diplomatic relations in 2013, while economic ties remained largely unharmed. In 2022, Türkiye was the largest importer of Egyptian goods, totalling $4 billion. Earlier this year, Cairo allowed Turkish citizens to obtain a visa on arrival, paving the way for advanced tourism.

El-Sissi was among the leaders who called Erdoğan after the earthquakes as Cairo sent humanitarian aid for the disaster’s victims. Egypt's foreign minister made a visit for the delivery of assistance in the aftermath of the earthquakes, which the Turkish foreign minister reciprocated soon after, marking the first visit by the highest-ranking Turkish official in over a decade.

Cairo and Ankara have also been at odds over Libya, where they backed opposing factions in an unresolved conflict, and also over maritime borders in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean. However, Türkiye has dismissed claims of rivalry with Egypt in the region and reiterated willingness for more cooperation.

Egypt, which has been struggling to manage an acute foreign currency shortage, said in March that Turkish companies had committed to $500 million in new investments in the country.

The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Türkiye’s efforts to build bridges with countries in the region where Ankara has recently also repaired its ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since Turkish economic policy requires good relations with a large number of Gulf nations.

Erdoğan has repeatedly said Türkiye hoped to maximize its cooperation with Egypt and Gulf nations "on a win-win basis," intensifying diplomacy after years of tensions. He is due to travel to Saudi Arabia and UAE in the upcoming weeks.