Turkey, Israel Set Up Hotline Over Syria Tensions

Date: 21 May 2025 - 22:04

News ID: ۱۳۹۸۰۳

DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Turkey and the Zionist regime have established a hotline to prevent possible military flare-ups in Syria, following talks held between the two sides in April, two sources familiar with the issue told Middle East Eye.
Turkish and Zionist regime officials have been meeting in the Azerbaijani capital Baku since April for direct talks to resolve their differences regarding Syria.
While Ankara emerged as a key actor following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December, the Zionist regime expressed deep concern over the new status quo, publicly opposing any Turkish military deployment to the country.
Several individuals and security sources from prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet repeatedly referred to Syria’s new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa’s regime as “radical” and stated that the Zionist regime would not tolerate Turkey taking over airbases near Palmyra.
However, both sides engaged in talks in April, with Azerbaijani mediation, to work out a deconfliction mechanism to avert future possible military conflict.
While further talks, a fifth round, are scheduled for later this month on a broader deconfliction deal, a 24/7 hotline was established in April to quickly resolve any accidental military tensions.
Turkish Defense Ministry sources, speaking to MEE, said they had nothing to announce yet.
Although Turkish officials have repeatedly stated they would not allow a “sphere of influence” in Syria that would permit the Zionist regime to strike areas at will, sources said the discussions are focusing on finding a way forward that could satisfy both sides’ concerns.
Last month, Ankara moved to take over the T4 airbase near Palmyra to deploy armed drones and surveillance aircraft. This move triggered an Israeli air campaign that struck the base multiple times before Turkish officials moved in, damaging the tarmac and destroying hangars.
The Turkish military has drafted plans to temporarily deploy a Russian-made S-400 air defense system to the base to protect it and deter possible attacks. This has concerned Zionist regime officials, who perceive it as an attempt to monitor and potentially expose their aerial operations in real-time.
Ankara says it needs the bases to easily and quickly track and strike Daesh groups operating near Palmyra in the desert.