Enab Baladi – Hussam al-Mahmoud
On April 7, following days of political tensions between Turkey and Israel over the latter’s rejection of Turkish military presence in Syria, culminating in explicit Israeli threats regarding this matter, US President Donald Trump settled the issue in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when he pledged to resolve the tensions between the two sides.
Trump told Netanyahu, “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think I can solve. I mean, as long as you’re reasonable, you have to be reasonable. We have to be reasonable.”
Trump added, “If you have a problem with Turkey, I really think you’re going to be able to work it out. You know, I have a very, very good relationship with Turkey and with their leader, and I think we’ll be able to work it out. So I hope that’s not going to be a problem. I don’t think it will be a problem.”
The US president affirmed that he has great relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, describing him as a “tough guy, very smart, and he did something that nobody was able to do,” referring to Turkey’s role in the ousting of Bashar al-Assad.
Trump revealed that he told Erdoğan in previous conversations, “I told him congratulations, you’ve done what nobody’s been able to do in 2,000 years. You’ve taken over Syria, but he denied it, but I told him again no, you are the one who took it.”
These statements, along with subsequent Turkish criticisms of the Israeli role in promoting instability in Syria, in addition to Israeli “red lines” rejecting the establishment of Turkish bases in Syria, did not reflect the political movements between the two sides on the ground. Sources in the Turkish Ministry of Defense mentioned that a meeting between Turkish and Israeli officials took place in Azerbaijan aimed at creating a de-escalation mechanism in Syria.
Turkish media reported on April 10 that technical delegations from Turkey and Israel held a crucial meeting in Azerbaijan the day before.
According to sources, efforts to establish a conflict resolution mechanism would continue, noting that Israel must abandon its expansionist policy in the region and that the international community must take responsibility for this issue.
The sources indicated that the first technical meeting was held between the two sides in Azerbaijan to establish a de-escalation mechanism to prevent unwanted incidents in Syria.
According to the ministry’s sources, in line with the demands of the new Syrian government, Turkey is providing support to enhance its defensive capabilities and combat all terrorist organizations, especially the “Islamic State.”
Turkish assurances… A desire to negotiate
Turkey is evaluating the establishment of a training base in Syria, with the aim of supporting the territorial integrity, stability, and security of Syria and cleansing it of terrorism.
Ankara also has the intention, capacity, and vision to achieve this, with all activities conducted and to be conducted for this purpose taking place within the framework of the agreement between the two countries, according to international law, without targeting a third state.
Sources from the Turkish Ministry of Defense stated, “The Turkish armed forces bring stability and peace wherever they go, and do not pose a threat to anyone who does not pose a threat to them.”
Furthermore, Israel is pursuing a confrontational foreign policy and targeting Turkey with unfair accusations, attempting through provocative statements to stir confusion and create an impression among the international public opinion that there is so-called tension between the two countries, according to the same sources.
The ministry’s spokesperson indicated about a week ago, during the weekly briefing, that Israel, which continues its provocative aggressions aimed at undermining Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity, despite no threats or attacks directed at it, must stop these aggressions as soon as possible and is invited to act in accordance with the principles of good neighborliness and contribute to the stability and security of Syria.
Although the first round of negotiations in Azerbaijan did not produce any agreements between the two sides regarding measures to prevent tensions between them, it is expected that negotiations will resume “after the end of the Easter holiday,” which extends from April 12 to April 19.
According to the Israeli broadcasting agency (Makan), the negotiations aimed to “find a way to prevent war,” in an attempt to establish a mechanism between Israel and Turkey to prevent incidents between their armies in Syria.
Strategic expert and non-resident researcher at the Stimson Center in Washington, Amer al-Sabaileh, clarified to Enab Baladi that the mere fact that both parties sat at the table for the first time, even without results, means that pathways for understanding have been opened, and there must be direct negotiations between both parties, which Washington wanted to convey. The conflict between the two sides in Syria is rejected, and Turkey must understand Israel’s concerns, while Israel should avoid confrontation with Turkey.
This means that both sides must increase communication and understanding; Israel will not allow Turkey to establish a real military force or military bases in areas it considers influential on its security under any circumstances, meaning Turkey needs to reconsider its presence in this region.
Moreover, Israel will not allow a significant Turkish military role before alleviating its fears regarding the ruling regime and the factions present in Syria, which means preparing Damascus for peace with Israel to reduce tensions between Turkey and Israel.
Israel has demonstrated its readiness to strike Turkish interests in Syria and go even further, and Turkey must adapt to this; hence, the US president has drawn a broad line stating that confrontation with Turkey is unacceptable, putting both parties in need of understanding and alleviating each other’s concerns.
Despite Ankara’s efforts to ease Israel’s fears about its presence in Syria, the Turkish president has warned on several occasions unnamed parties against attempts to destabilize Syria.
A different Israeli perspective
The American statements that came from the highest level and presented clear messages about the nature of US relations with Turkey and Trump’s personal relationship with Erdoğan prompted Israelis to adopt a more realistic reading than before. The Israeli newspaper “Times of Israel” published a lengthy report on April 11 titled “Israel will need to get used to Turkey’s growing footprint in Syria.”
The report quoted Gallia Lindenstrauss, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), stating that ultimately, when it comes to Syria, Turkey is more interested in it than Israel and invests accordingly. Israel’s interest in Syria is purely security-related, which gives Ankara the advantage.
Lindenstrauss added that Trump’s support for Erdoğan also constrains Israel’s maneuverability, saying, “President Trump made it clear during his recent meeting with Netanyahu in Washington that he is willing to help Israel deal with Turkey, but Israel needs to show reasonable demands.”
She continued, “He is pushing Israel to adopt a minimalist approach in Syria. To prioritize, Israel will have to insist only on its most critical red lines, like preventing Iranian arms transfers to Hezbollah through southern Syria.”
Yedioth Ahronoth reported in late March that the alliance between Ankara and Damascus would allow Turkey to retain military bases in Syria, a scenario that could pose a greater threat to Israel than that posed by Iran in recent years.
Unlike Iran, Turkey is not a pariah state; it maintains close relations with the West, is a member of NATO, and is a regional superpower with influence in both Europe and the Middle East.
According to the report, “Israel must adopt a proactive policy aimed at preventing any future military conflict with Turkey by building strategic alliances in the region, among these moderate Sunni Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, under the auspices of the United States.”
During the years of Russian intervention in Syria to protect the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime, Russia and Israel engaged in understandings and mechanisms for coordination and preventing clashes in Syria; however, these understandings did not prevent ongoing Israeli strikes across the Syrian map that primarily targeted the Iranian military presence in Syria, leaving the door open for the future shape of any understanding between Turkey and Israel to resolve the conflict over Syrian territory, at a time when Damascus shows a tendency to focus on reconstruction, development, and building rather than opening doors to new conflicts and wars it cannot withstand.
In recent days, Washington has moved toward effectively reducing its military presence on Syrian soil, keeping fewer than a thousand troops after closing three small operational bases, contrary to Israel’s desire, which tried to prevent the US withdrawal from Syria and failed.
Israel sees that the withdrawal of US forces may increase Turkish appetite for seizing more strategic military assets in Syria, as mentioned by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on April 15, which highlighted the Turkish president’s desire to capitalize on developments to turn his country into a regional power, including in Syria.
Turkey and Israel at negotiation table over Syria Enab Baladi.
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