Israel and Turkey reportedly establishing direct line to avoid confrontation in Syria

The Qatari-aligned Middle East Eye website reported on Monday that Israel and Turkey recently held talks over the establishment of a direct “deconfliction line” to avoid potential clashes of their forces in Syria. 

The report follows several strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Syria aimed at preventing the new Syrian regime from achieving advanced weaponry and capabilities from military equipment left by the previous Assad regime, or from departing Russian forces. 

Last week, the IDF struck several military sites in Syria, including the Hama Air Base and the Tiyas Airbase (also known as T4), of which Turkey was rumored to be assuming control. 

Middle East Eye cited “two western officials” who claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli officials that the country had “a limited window to strike the T4 base before Turkey could position its assets there.” Once Turkish forces deployed there, the base would be removed from Israel’s target bank for operations. 

While Turkey was reportedly interested in the T4 base for deploying surveillance and attack drones as part of its operations against what it calls “terrorism” within Syria, usually a euphemism for attacks on Kurdish controlled territories, it is also believed by several Israeli analysts that Turkey would coordinate its air defense with the new Syrian regime. 

Turkey was also reported to be considering the deployment of advanced air defenses to the base, possibly including the Russian-made S400 air defense system, which led to Turkey’s removal from the F-35 stealth fighter program. 

Middle East Eye reported that Turkey planned to install “a layered air defense system in and around the base, with short-, medium-, and long-range capabilities designed to counter threats from aircraft, drones, and missiles.” 

While the U.S. and Israel believe the system poses a reduced risk to the advanced capabilities of the F-35, both countries also operate older F-15 and F-16 fighter jets in the region.

Israel is also reportedly concerned that the deployment of Turkish forces, particularly air defense systems, could close off an attack corridor that it had previously used to strike Iran. That would also potentially prevent Israel from striking Iran’s nuclear facilities in the future. 

One of the sources who spoke to Middle East Eye noted that “Both Israeli and Turkish officials released identical statements on the same day, saying they do not seek conflict with one another in Syria.” 

He said the close timing of the statements indicates that “It appeared to be coordinated.” 

Turkey and Syria have been working closely on security issues since the fall of the Assad regime in December, but the encroachment of Turkey into Syria has raised alarms in Israel, especially given the increasingly militant rhetoric of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan towards Israel both before and after the start of the Oct. 7 Gaza War. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu raised Israel’s concerns about the Turkish presence in Syria with U.S. President Donald Trump during their recent meeting in Washington, DC, with Trump telling Netanyahu, “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think I can solve… We have to be reasonable.”