Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a pointed warning widely interpreted as being directed at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while simultaneously announcing an agreement to expand military and security cooperation with Greece and Cyprus, Israeli media reported on Monday.
Speaking alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Netanyahu confirmed that the three countries had agreed to deepen their defense and security ties as part of a broader strategic partnership in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Without naming Erdoğan directly, Netanyahu delivered a strongly worded message that appeared aimed at Ankara’s regional ambitions. “To those who fantasize about rebuilding empires and controlling our lands, I say: forget it. It will not happen. Do not even think about it,” he said.
Netanyahu added that Israel and its partners are fully prepared to defend themselves, stressing that closer cooperation enhances their collective capabilities. “We are committed to and capable of defending ourselves, and our cooperation strengthens these abilities,” he said. “Together, as democracies in the Eastern Mediterranean, we will strengthen security, prosperity, and freedom.”
Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the remarks came during a trilateral summit held in Tel Aviv, amid Greek and Cypriot media reports describing the meeting as part of a broader effort to “reshape” the region’s security architecture. The summit reflects growing coordination among the three countries at a time of significant geopolitical shifts in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.
According to Maariv, the timing of the summit is particularly significant, as the region is undergoing profound security and strategic transformations. The meeting was intended to reaffirm the strategic alignment between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus and to reinforce their trilateral cooperation framework, which has expanded steadily over the past decade to include energy, defense, and diplomatic coordination.
From the Cypriot perspective, the summit carries notable political and institutional weight. A report by the Cyprus-based outlet Sigmalive, citing a government spokesperson in Nicosia, said the meeting was the tenth trilateral summit of its kind. It comes nearly two years after the previous summit, which was hosted by Cyprus in September 2023, and follows the regional upheaval triggered by the events of October 7.
Cypriot officials emphasized that the gathering demonstrates the “institutional maturity” of the trilateral forum and its ability to endure as a pillar of stability and regional cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. They underscored the forum’s role in promoting security coordination and political dialogue amid heightened tensions and shifting alliances.
The expansion of military cooperation among Israel, Greece, and Cyprus is likely to draw close attention from regional actors, particularly Turkey, whose relations with all three countries have been marked by periodic tensions over maritime boundaries, energy exploration, and influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
As regional rivalries intensify, the trilateral alliance is positioning itself as a key bloc advocating stability, democratic cooperation, and collective security in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.
