New Ankara-Riyadh corridor fuels Israeli anxiety amid tensions with Turkey: Report

A proposed trade and transport corridor being advanced by Turkey and Saudi Arabia has raised fears among Israeli officials, who reportedly view the initiative as a potential challenge to regional connectivity projects backed by the occupying regime.

On Tuesday, Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed two memoranda of understanding to expand cooperation in logistics and railways as the two countries explore new land routes connecting the Persian Gulf with Turkey and Europe.

Neither Turkey nor Saudi Arabia has publicly announced final details of the reported corridor project.

However, according to a report published by Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Saturday, the proposed overland route would connect Persian Gulf states to Europe through Syria and Jordan before entering Turkey, bypassing Israeli-occupied territories and reducing reliance on Israeli infrastructure, including the port of Haifa.

The report said the corridor could emerge as a competitor to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a major trade initiative supported by Israel, the United States, India, and several Arab states.

IMEC has been promoted as a strategic route that seeks to boost trade links between Asia and Europe through areas occupied by the Israeli regime.

Israeli officials cited by the newspaper reportedly view the Turkish-Saudi initiative as a geopolitical and economic challenge that could diminish Israel's role as a regional transit hub.

The Israeli media said officials are closely monitoring developments amid concerns that alternative transit networks could weaken the strategic importance of IMEC and Israel's transportation infrastructure.

The development comes amid increasingly strained relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanging sharp public accusations in recent days.

Erdogan blasts Israeli war crimes as Turkish lawyers refer evidence to ICC

Turkish legal experts sent a file of Israel war crimes evident to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Speaking to lawmakers in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan said Israel's attacks on Syria and Lebanon had reached a point where they also threatened Turkey's security.

He also noted that Israel is seeking to destabilize the wider Mediterranean region, saying that its "aggression" posed a ‌threat to the whole world and must be stopped immediately.

Erdogan further warned that attempts to undermine Turkish or Turkish Cypriot interests would be met with a "clear and strong response."

Netanyahu responded forcefully, saying Erdogan was "the last person who can lecture Israel on morality."

The Israeli premier claimed the Turkish leader has supported the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, suppressed political opponents, and pursued policies against Kurdish groups, while claiming that Israel would continue to “act decisively” against Iran and its regional allies.

The latest exchange reflects a broader deterioration in Turkish-Israeli relations since the outbreak of regional wars involving Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.

NATO member Turkey has suspended trade with Israel and has emerged as one of the regime's most vocal critics on the international stage.

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