This past week’s trilateral meeting in Jerusalem between the leaders of Israel, Greece and Cyprus continued to cause reverberations in neighboring Turkey, with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday “taking the baton” from negative Turkish press coverage.

Speaking to cadres of his ruling AKP party active at the prefectural level, the Turkish president first expressed annoyance with a recent agreement between the Republic of Cyprus and Lebanon to delimitate maritime regions. Moving on, however, the powerful and long-time leader reserved his most caustic remarks for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Whether in the eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean, or anywhere else, we do not usurp anyone’s rights, nor do we allow anyone to usurp our rights. We will not allow the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots to be violated,” Erdogan was quoted as saying, a reference to the Turkish-occupied one-third of Cyprus where Ankara props up a Turkish Cypriot pseudo-state.

“They can conclude agreements, place signatures and send various messages …None of this binds us or changes our policy,” he said, adding:

“The words of those who have stained their hands with the blood of our Palestinian brothers are no different, in our eyes, from the clatter of tin cans… We did not fall for their game, and we won’t fall for it. We did not succumb to provocations.”

He also expressed, once again, his government’s support for the Palestinians, saying that “…During these blessed three months, we will increase our aid to Palestine. As Turkey, we will not back down, we will not remain silent, we will not forget, and we will never leave Gaza alone…Everyone should know that, as in the past, we are in favor of peace and tranquility today. But that does not mean that we consent to injustice or that we remain silent in the face of oppression. Never.”

Speaking with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides at a joint press conference, Netanyahu this week emphasized, without mentioning Erdogan or Turkey by name, that “…To those who dream of establishing empires and dominating our lands, I say: forget it. That will not happen. Don’t even think about it…We are committed and able to defend ourselves, and this cooperation enhances our capabilities. Together, as democracies in the Eastern Mediterranean, we will enhance security, prosperity, and freedom.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hold a joint press conference after a trilateral meeting at the Citadel of David Hotel in Jerusalem, 22 December 2025. ABIR SULTAN/Pool via REUTERS