Recently, the naval forces of Israel and Greece conducted a joint operation in the Eastern Mediterranean. This event has raised some doubts in Ankara, which keeps emphasizing the necessity of continuing cooperation and dialogue in this sensitive area.

The Greek Ministry of Defence sent two frigates to the site, which are to cooperate with the two missile boats of the Israeli Defence Forces. The operations consisted of a number of complicated tasks, which were connected to detecting maritime threats, overcoming various emergencies, and conducting search and rescue operations of different kinds in order to train both fleets for better coordination.

Despite the fact that Athens and Tel Aviv stressed that this exercise was purely operational, it happened in the conditions of existing maritime disputes. Ankara regards the Eastern Mediterranean as an important zone where the changing strategic situation can influence the stability of the region in general.

Officials from Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have continually stated that the sea must be a platform for cooperation, not military conflict. After recent talks with officials from Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish diplomats reiterated the need to refrain from actions that could contribute to the rise of tensions. Ankara insists on diplomacy as a means for resolving issues related to maritime boundaries in dispute.

The growing strategic partnership of Greece and Israel indicates the increasingly complicated security context in the region. The states continue working on improving their military ties, while unaddressed issues regarding energy resources in the region and boundary disputes are being continuously watched by the international community and international organizations such as the United Nations.