Turkish and Israeli officials have begun talks aimed at easing tensions in Syria, where the militaries of both countries are active, officials from both sides say.
Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes in Syria and deployed troops to a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights since opposition fighters removed President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Turkiye is a key backer of the interim government in Syria, where its support includes operations against the ISIL (ISIS) armed group.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed on Wednesday that technical talks with Israel were under way, emphasising that deconfliction mechanisms were necessary to prevent misunderstandings between the two regional powers’ forces.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Thursday that the two sides “agreed to continue the dialogue in order to preserve regional stability”.
The talks come as the two sides pursue competing interests in Syria. Turkish sources quoted by the news agency Reuters said the talks in Azerbaijan on Wednesday marked the beginning of efforts to set up a communications channel to avoid potential clashes or misunderstandings over military operations in the region.
“Efforts will continue to establish this mechanism,” one of the Turkish sources said, without providing details on the scope or timeline of the talks.
A Turkish Ministry of National Defence official quoted by The Associated Press news agency said 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”.
Israel has expressed concerns that Syria’s new leadership will pose a threat along its border while Israel also reportedly wants to thwart Turkish influence in Syria. Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Turkish bases in Syria would be a “danger to Israel”.
An Israeli political source quoted by Reuters said that during the talks “Israel made it unequivocally clear that any change in the deployment of foreign forces in Syria – and in particular the establishment of Turkish bases in the Palmyra area – is a red line and will be considered a breaking of the rules.”
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a United Kingdom-based war monitor, Israel’s military carried out more than 500 air attacks on targets in Syria from December 8 to December 31 and has carried out at least 43 attacks so far this year. Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Israel of waging a campaign against “the stability of the country”.
Ties between Israel and Turkiye have deteriorated over Israel’s assault on Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s war, which has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians.
