Turkey and Israel hold talks to avoid accidental conflict in Syria

Turkey and Israel have held “technical talks” aimed at preventing conflict between their troops in Syria, a Turkish official said Thursday.

The first discussions were held in Azerbaijan on Wednesday to establish a “de-escalation mechanism to prevent undesirable incidents in Syria,” the Defense Ministry official said on condition of anonymity as part of a policy to discuss the issue. “Work will continue to establish the conflict-free mechanism.”
Since the fall of President Bashar Assad in Syria late last year, Israel and Turkey have been competing over their separate interests there. Syria’s Foreign Ministry has said Israeli jets have struck a Syrian airbase. Turkey purportedly hopes to use the base to extend its influence.

Israel also fears that Syria’s new Islamist leadership will pose a new threat along its border and has set up a buffer zone inside Syrian territory. Turkey’s emergence as a key player in Syria, meanwhile, has prompted Israeli concerns over a larger Turkish military presence. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Turkish bases in Syria would be a “danger to Israel.”

Ankara is supporting the new Syrian government, which is led by former rebels it backed during the 13-year civil war. The support includes counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State group.

The Defense Ministry official said that assessments for the establishment of a base for joint Turkish-Syrian training are ongoing, adding that such activities followed international law “without targeting third countries.”

Netanyahu’s office confirmed Wednesday’s negotiations and said both sides “agreed to continue on the path of dialogue in order to preserve security stability.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday that Turkey had “no intention of conflict in Syria, not only with Israel but with any country in the region.” But he added that Ankara “cannot watch Syria being subjected to an internal turmoil, an operation, a provocation that will threaten Turkey’s national security.”

Once strong regional partners, ties between Israel and Turkey have long been frosty and deteriorated further over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been an outspoken critic of the war, prompting angry reactions from Israeli officials.

Netanyahu this week sought to hear support from his ally President Donald Trump on a country Israel perceives as increasingly hostile. Instead, Trump lavished praise on Erdogan for “taking over Syria,” positioned himself as a possible mediator between the countries and urged Netanyahu to be “reasonable” in his dealings with Turkey.