ISTANBUL: Turkiye and Israel have held crisis talks aimed at preventing conflict between their armed forces in the Syrian Arab Republic, officials from both countries said on Thursday.
The first discussions took place in Azerbaijan to establish a “de-escalation mechanism to prevent undesirable incidents in Syria,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said. “Work will continue to establish the conflict-free mechanism.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said both sides had “agreed to continue on the path of dialogue in order to preserve security stability.”
Since dictator Bashar Assad’s regime was ousted by Syrian opposition forces last year, Israel has launched a wave of airstrikes on military targets there, and sent troops into parts of southern Syria beyond the Golan Heights, which it already occupies.
Among the Israeli targets were at least three air bases that had been inspected by Turkish military teams with a view to deploying forces as part of a planned joint defense pact with Damascus. Ankara supports the new Syrian government, which is led by groups Turkiye backed during the 13-year civil war. The support includes counterterrorism operations against Daesh.
Turkiye’s emergence as a key player in Syria has prompted Israeli concerns over a larger Turkish military presence. Netanyahu said Turkish bases in Syria would be a “danger to Israel.”
The Turkish Defense Ministry said assessments for the establishment of a base for joint Turkish-Syrian training were ongoing, and such activities followed international law “without targeting third countries.”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkiye had “no intention of conflict in Syria, not only with Israel but with any country in the region.” But he said Ankara could not “watch Syria being subjected to internal turmoil, an operation, a provocation that will threaten Turkey’s national security.”
