Israeli military adds Turkey on ‘list of challenges’

ISRAEL’S

military took another controversial step and announced that it has added Turkey on its “list of challenges” in an annual threat assessment for the coming year, a Israeli daily reported Wednesday. Despite maintaining diplomatic ties with the country, Israeli Military Intelligence has included the policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on its list.

ISRAEL’S

military has added Turkey’s policies in its “list of challenges” in an annual threat assessment for the coming year, the Times of Israel reported Wednesday.

Despite officially maintaining diplomatic ties with the country, Israeli Military Intelligence has included policies of Turkey’s leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on this report, the news article of the Times of Israel said. It was stated that even though Turkey made it on the list, the military does not expect direct confrontation with the country, adding that Ankara’s actions in the region have made it one of the top dangers to watch for this coming year.

The assessment, which is presented to Israeli decision-makers each year, did not detail any specific threat Turkey has toward Israel but rather indicated that policies pursued by Erdoğan were of concern.

Turkish officials frequently criticize Israel’s policies targeting Palestinians, including illegal settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem and the humanitarian situation.

The most recent tension between two countries arouse when Turkey signed two agreements on maritime borders and security with Libya’s U.N.-recognized government at the end of 2019. This agreement changed the power balance in the Mediterranean while Greece, the EU, Egypt, Israel and the Greek Cypriot administration did not hesitate to condemn the deals.