Turkey key underlying issue as Israel, Greece, Cyprus hold summit
The trilateral partnership took shape some 15 years ago after Israel’s ties with Turkey deteriorated, even if it was initially framed in the language of energy cooperation and regional diplomacy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will host his Greek and Cypriot counterparts in Jerusalem on Monday as part of a trilateral partnership that has steadily changed character.
The partnership took shape some 15 years ago after Israel’s ties with Turkey deteriorated, even if it was initially framed in the language of energy cooperation and regional diplomacy.
But what was once implicit has now become more explicit, with concerns about Turkey’s intentions increasingly defining the trilateral agenda.
A decade ago, natural gas provided both the language and the legitimacy for building closer ties with Greece and Cyprus, two countries that for decades were among the most critical of Israel in Europe. Gas pipelines, export routes, and the connection of electrical grids were ways to deepen cooperation among the three countries without explicitly framing it as an alliance against Turkey.
But today, as energy projects fade or change form and regional tensions have sharpened, that caution has given way to more candor. Security cooperation – once a talking point that appeared well after gas was discussed – has become the central pillar of the relationship.
