Israel, Greece, Cyprus deepen security ties amid tensions with Turkey
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Israeli officials denied on Saturday plans to establish a formal joint military force with Greece and Cyprus, but confirmed that the Israeli army has been instructed to begin preliminary planning as part of expanded security coordination among the three countries.
According to Israel’s Yediot Ahronot, security cooperation between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, including joint air, land and naval exercises, has been ongoing for years.
While Israeli authorities rejected a Greek media report claiming an imminent agreement on a “joint intervention force,” sources said the political leadership has already signaled the military to prepare scenarios reflecting deeper trilateral coordination.
The developments come ahead of a trilateral summit scheduled for Monday in Jerusalem, bringing together Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
Israeli sources described the effort as building a strategic security “wall” aimed at deterring Turkey and preventing a shift toward open hostility.
Tensions have escalated in recent weeks amid reported Turkish violations of Greek airspace, which prompted Greek fighter jets to scramble.
Israeli officials view Turkey as a regional rival rather than an outright enemy, stressing that the goal of enhanced cooperation is to contain tensions and avoid further deterioration.
Security cooperation is expected to dominate the summit’s agenda, with discussions focusing on joint military exercises, increased coordination and presenting a unified deterrent message toward Ankara.
Israeli officials said the trilateral framework is intended to signal resolve while maintaining regional stability.
Beyond defense, the leaders are set to emphasize energy cooperation, particularly a project to link Israel, Greece and Cyprus to a shared electricity grid via an undersea power cable.
Greece is currently building a power line between Crete and Cyprus, and extending the connection to Israel would integrate the country into the European energy network for the first time.
Reports in Greek media have suggested that Israel, Greece and Cyprus are weighing the creation of a joint military force in the eastern Mediterranean amid Turkey’s military buildup.
The proposed force would include land, sea and air units, forming a rapid response brigade of around 2,500 troops deployed across Israel, Cyprus and Greek islands such as Karpathos and Rhodes.
While Israeli officials have publicly denied that a final decision has been made, the reports underscore growing strategic alignment among the three countries as they seek to protect regional energy infrastructure and strengthen long-term security cooperation.