Expanding Turkey-Libya agreement threatens Israeli shipping far from Turkish borders - analysis
The agreement creates an artificial corridor stretching from Turkey's coast to Libya's, while completely disregarding the chain of Greek islands between them, including Crete and Rhodes.
The Israeli defense establishment has taken notice of Turkey's expanding military and diplomatic influence in Libya, stemming from a 2019 economic agreement between Turkey and Libya. This agreement has created a maritime corridor from Turkey's coast to Libya, disregarding the Greek islands in between, such as Crete and Rhodes. In exchange for Turkey's support, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured a presence in Libyan ports, aerial capabilities, and rights to search for energy resources within Libyan territory.
This situation enables Turkey to establish military infrastructure along the region and potentially disrupt military and civilian shipping far beyond its recognized borders.
The Turkish-Libyan agreement poses a threat to the construction of a gas pipeline from Israel to Cyprus, through Greece, and ultimately to Europe. Turkey insists that any such project would need to pass through Turkish territory and gain the Turkish government's approval. Additionally, tensions between the countries have affected the deployment of undersea communications infrastructure and electricity cables, with concerns that they could be damaged.
Israeli defense officials have emphasized that the IDF Intelligence Directorate has been monitoring developments in the region, assessing any potential impacts on Israel and its allies. This scrutiny comes amid Israeli energy agreements with Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt, and growing concerns over Israel's freedom of navigation, as 98% of Israeli imports arrive by sea.
The IDF Intelligence Directorate, Mossad, and the Israel Navy's intelligence branch are particularly concerned about Turkey's moves in the region, viewing them as attempts to constrain and isolate Israel. Senior officials attribute these actions to Erdogan's intentions to block and isolate Israel, alongside direct threats posed by Hamas.
The defense establishment is especially sensitive to changes in maritime trade routes, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea, due to their potential impact on Israel's economy and security interests. Israeli intelligence is also monitoring Hamas' efforts to establish logistical infrastructure in the region.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
