Türkiye-Israel geopolitical competition

Geopolitical competition between Türkiye and Israel is expanding across multiple regions, affecting maritime security and defense architectures.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye’s growing military and diplomatic footprint—bolstered by its 2019 maritime boundaries agreement with Libya—is reportedly constraining Israel’s strategic ambitions. This influence, which includes access to Libyan ports and energy exploration rights, poses challenges to proposed natural gas pipelines intended to connect Israel to Greece and Cyprus. Israeli officials have noted concerns regarding maritime routes, given that 98% of the nation’s imports are conducted via sea.

This rivalry has also extended into the Balkans. Israel is strengthening military and technological cooperation with nations including Greece, Cyprus, and Serbia, introducing new military asymmetries through advanced defense technologies. In response, Türkiye is working to maintain regional balance by deepening ties with several Balkan states, including Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Serbia has emerged as a central actor in this landscape, utilizing a multi-vector foreign policy to modernize its armed forces through partnerships with Israel, France, Russia, and China.

Recent developments indicate heightened monitoring by Türkiye regarding Greek and Cypriot military and diplomatic activities. Turkish media have highlighted Greece’s cooperation with Israel and its influence within the United States Congress as efforts to strengthen Athens’ position against Ankara. The ‘EU NOMIA’ military exercise has been characterized by some outlets as a demonstration of support from France and Italy toward Greece regarding maritime jurisdiction and subsea cable protection. Furthermore, some commentators suggest Greece and Cyprus are increasingly serving as strategic bases for US-Israel interests, leading to calls for alternative alliances involving Türkiye, Russia, China, and Iran.