The initiative is part of a broader effort to deter Turkey’s military and strategic activities in the eastern Mediterranean.

Senior officials from Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are discussing the possibility of establishing a rapid-response force composed of units from the armed forces of the three countries, three people familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to deter Turkey’s military and strategic activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, they said.

According to the sources, the security initiative is currently in the preliminary review and planning stages.

It is intended to strengthen strategic military cooperation among the three countries amid rising regional tensions. The force would not be a permanent standing unit but one that could be deployed quickly in times of crisis on land, at sea, or in the air.

There is significant involvement from the IAF, the IDF Foreign Relations Department, and the Israel Navy, coordinated through inter-service and government channels, an informed source told the Post.

Next week, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides are due to arrive in Israel for a summit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In recent weeks, there have been numerous meetings on the subject.

In November, the Prime Minister’s Office said Military Secretary Major-General Roman Gofman and Acting National Security Council Adviser Gil Reich held “meetings on political and regional issues with their Greek counterparts” in Greece.

IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar reportedly met with senior air force officials from Cyprus and Greece in a strategic session to strengthen cooperation.

On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz met with his Cypriot counterpart in Israel.

The concept they discussed envisions a unit of about 2,500 personnel, some 1,000 soldiers each from Greece and Israel, and 500 from Cyprus, Greek news site Tanea reported.

Discussions on the proposal are ongoing, two sources told the Post.

The establishment of such a force, and even discussions about its establishment, is intended to send a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“If you take this and you add it to the deepened military cooperation of the last 15 years, to me this could be a natural extension of this cooperation,” Angelos Athanasopoulos, a Greek geopolitics and security expert, told the Post. “And the main country from which it will receive a backlash will be Turkey. Following recent comments in both Greek and Israeli press, this really raises some eyebrows in Turkey.”

Ankara is seeking to turn Syria into a Turkish satellite state, including the deployment of air-defense systems aimed at aircraft and missiles in Syrian territory.

At the same time, Turkey is pursuing involvement in the multinational force in the Gaza Strip and is holding talks with both rival governments in Libya in an attempt to negotiate a new maritime agreement. Such a move could allow it to become a dominant player in the maritime space of the Northern and Eastern Mediterranean.

In recent years, Israel has conducted several exercises with the navies and air forces of Greece and Cyprus, including trilateral drills. According to reports in Greece, the Israeli Spike NLOS missile system, known as the “Long Lance,” is transitioning in the Hellenic Army from procurement to operational integration.

Publications indicate the goal is to achieve full operational capability by next summer, with a focus on deployment around the eastern Aegean islands and the Evros River region.

The reports say this is not just about acquiring long-range missiles but about embedding a full networked system of sensors, command, and control, giving smaller units a significant and accurate fire capability.

“If there is a force, a standing force probably, I think we will see more trilateral exercises of this kind,” Athanasopoulos said. “And who knows if other countries will also participate. So, indeed, a new course creates a denser network of synergies.”