‘Forget it’: PM Netanyahu slams ‘fantasies of re-establishing empires’ in message to Turkey after summit with Greece and Cyprus

The leaders of Israel, Greece and Cyprus affirmed their friendship and cooperation, particularly in “security, defense and military matters,” sending a thinly veiled message to Turkey following the most recent tripartite summit in Jerusalem on Monday.

“The Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean are being tested by aggression, terrorism and instability,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the first tripartite meeting since Oct. 7, 2023.

Alongside discussions on the economy, tourism, and technological cooperation, the meeting of the three Eastern Mediterranean countries focused on the joint threat posed by Turkey.

Netanyahu noted that all three countries “were conquered in the past by a succession of empires,” with the most recent being the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

In a thinly veiled address to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Netanyahu added: “To those who fantasize they can reestablish their empires and their dominion over our lands, I say: 'Forget it. It's not going to happen. Don’t even think about it.' We are committed and able to defend ourselves and our cooperation further enhances that capability.”

Despite this, the joint declaration at the end of the summit did not include an announcement about a joint naval force, as reports had suggested ahead of the meeting.

In his statement, Netanyahu said that the three nations agreed to advance the IMEC project – the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor – adding that he would discuss the issue further in his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

“It's a maritime and rail pipeline, energy pipeline and cable connectivity between Asia and Europe going through Israel, Cyprus and Greece,” Netanyahu explained.

“We are advancing the great sea connector that will enable electric energy cooperation between our three countries and Europe, and the Arabian Peninsula, and ultimately, you can connect it to Asia as well.”

The Israeli prime minister said that the countries would deepen cooperation “in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced research.”

Israel is already a global technology leader, and together with Greece and Cyprus, we will shape the region's future in cutting-edge new technologies.”

Netanyahu noted that the countries would also “deepen” cooperation on security and defense, vowing to protect “not only our own nations, but vital sea lanes and critical infrastructure that the global economy depends on.”

In addition to security matters, the tripartite summit focused on a wide range of other topics.

In the joint declaration, Netanyahu, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece and President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus stated: “Today’s trilateral summit reaffirms our unwavering commitment to strengthen our cooperation, enhancing the security and resilience of our nations for generations to come.”

“We agree to convene an annual Leaders' Summit and to intensify ministerial and working-level trilateral meetings, thereby deepening cooperation and expanding joint initiatives.”

The three countries agreed to establish a “Trilateral Working Group on Emergency Preparedness and Response” to help one another during natural disasters like wildfires.

They also plan to establish a “Working Group on Health, strengthening cooperation among our medical institutions in research, innovation, and emergency response,” and to expand cooperation in environmental protection; addressing climate change, advancing joint energy projects and establishing a framework to promote joint research initiatives. The plan also includes the formation of “Working Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI),” among other projects.