The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed in a social media post on Sunday that Israel, Greece, and Cyprus signed a “trilateral military cooperation work plan” last week, an effort that would include joint exercises, trainings, and strategic military dialogue.
Newsweek has reached out to the IDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for both Greece and Cyprus for comment via email on Sunday.
Why It Matters
The agreement involves three countries whose relations with Turkey have often been strained.
Greece and Turkey have long disputed maritime boundaries in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean, while Cyprus’ ties with Turkey remain shaped by the island’s decades-old division between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, as well as migration as a source of friction. Turkey has backed Palestinians and sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, further straining their rapport.
The confirmation of the agreement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Jerusalem and made pointed remarks about Turkey. All three countries have expressed concerns about Turkey’s regional influence.
What To Know
In an X post on Sunday, the IDF confirmed that the agreement, “along with bilateral plans between the IDF and the Hellenic Armed Forces and the Cypriot National Guard for 2026,” were signed last week in Cyprus.
The IDF noted that the agreements include “joint exercises, training, working groups across a range of fields, and strategic military dialogue, further strengthening cooperation and contributing to stability, security and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean region.”
Leaders from the three countries met in Jerusalem on December 22 for the 10th Trilateral Summit. At that meeting, Netanyahu said, in a nod to the former Ottoman Empire, “those who fantasize they can reestablish their empires and their dominion over our lands, I say forget it.”
Local media reported that a potential shared force of about 2,500 personnel could be involved for crisis response, although the IDF did not clarify in their post.
Greece and Cyprus have both called for a ceasefire in Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, as well as condemnation of Israel’s minimal aid deliveries.
What People Are Saying
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides wrote in an X post on December 22 while visiting with Israeli and Greek leaders: “Our presence here today is not only symbolic; it is substantive. The partnership between Cyprus, Greece, and Israel is of strategic importance not only for our three countries, but also for our region and beyond. Together, we will continue to work in a spirit of Trust and Cooperation to strengthen Stability, Security, and Prosperity throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during the December 22 summit: “I think this reaffirms the depth, the maturity, but also the strategic importance of a partnership that has clearly stood the test of time, has proven resilient and adaptable, and continues to contribute significantly to the stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean…Our region is undergoing profound change. The last time we met in 2023, things looked very different. We’ve now entered a new geopolitical phase. This creates some serious risk, but I believe it also creates a profound window of opportunity to shape a regional security architecture that can deliver peace and prosperity.”
Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said following the summit: “Israel, which tramples on humanitarian values through its aggressive policies in the Middle East, is now seeking to carry this instability into the Eastern Mediterranean. Efforts to transform the region from a zone of peace into an arena of conflict threaten not only the island of Cyprus but the entire Mediterranean basin.”
What Happens Next
The trilateral agreement is set to take effect next year.
Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to meet in early 2026.