Shay Gal’s First Speech in Greece: Dominance, Control, and Europe’s Mediterranean Test

Israeli analyst Shay Gal gave his first speech in Greece at an event held on Monday, May 4, 2026, as part of a collaboration between the International Institute of Strategy and the Hellenic Institute of Strategic Studies – ELISME.

The central theme of the speech was: “Sovereignty, Control, and Europe’s Mediterranean Trial”, with Gal placing Turkey, Cyprus, the Aegean, Akkuyu, Libya, Gaza, Iran, and the need to build a new security architecture centered on Greece, Cyprus, and Israel at the core.

The event was attended by generals, admirals, air marshals, academics, politicians, analysts, and journalists. The Israeli analyst responded to questions from the guests, presenting a comprehensive strategic vision for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Gal began by referring to Athens and the symbolic significance of October 28th, the official name of Patission Street where the ELISME offices are located. He emphasized that for Greece, the “No” was not a slogan but a historic decision. With this reference, he connected the Greek historical instinct to today’s security reality.

At the core of his analysis was the concept of the “Turkish Perimeter”. According to Gal, Turkey does not act sporadically in the Aegean, Cyprus, Libya, Syria, the Black Sea, Bosporus, Somalia, energy, migration, and Hamas. Instead, it connects all these areas into a single pressure system.

He argued that Ankara does not necessarily seek open war but something strategically more useful: a region where everyone must consider Turkey before taking any action. Greece before expanding rights, Cyprus before advancing energy initiatives, Israel before connecting with Europe, the European Union before imposing sanctions, and NATO before deploying forces.

His remarks on Cyprus were particularly sharp. Gal described the term “frozen conflict” as a dangerous illusion, asserting that the Occupied Territories function as Turkey’s strategic depth: military, intelligence, political, psychological, and operational. He even described the northern part of Cyprus as a “floating aircraft carrier” of Turkey within the European security space.

A significant portion of the speech focused on the nuclear power plant at Akkuyu, which he labeled a “Russian nuclear enclave inside NATO.” According to Gal, the issue is not only about energy but strategic, as Akkuyu connects Russia with a critical part of Turkey’s infrastructure in the Mediterranean.

Gal also referred to the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, calling it a “weapon masquerading as a map.” He said Turkey exploited Libya’s disintegration to create faits accomplis in the sea, pressure Greece, squeeze Egypt, and complicate the Israel–Cyprus–Greece–Europe routes.

On the military aspect, Gal was unequivocal: Turkey must not receive F-35 aircraft unless there is a radical change in its strategic behavior. Regarding the F-16s, he argued that their delivery, maintenance, software, upgrades, and armaments must be conditional if Ankara uses Western air power to pressure allies or partners.

He also placed great emphasis on the geoeconomic map of the region. He contrasted the Turkish leverage map — TurkStream, Bosporus, Middle Corridor, Turkish-Libyan line — with the alternative map of IMEC and the Vertical Corridor, where Greece, Cyprus, and Israel can act as a European backbone linking India, the Gulf, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe.

In conclusion, Gal argued that Greece, Cyprus, and Israel should not passively wait for the United States. He stated that America remains necessary, but it cannot be the sole foundation of security.

His final proposal was the creation of an operational Europe, with a permanent evaluation and warning mechanism for Greece–Cyprus–Israel, full integration of Cyprus into European security planning, and the development of a Mediterranean architecture for air and missile defense.

His message was clear: Greece is not Europe’s edge, Cyprus is not an exception, and Israel is not outside the European security reality. Together, they constitute the southeastern test of Europe’s strategic will.