According to Israeli media, “Turkey got the message”: Claims that Ankara’s Syria plans have been suspended

A report in the Israeli media has claimed that Ankara has suspended its plans to expand its military presence in Syria following Israel’s attack on the Abu al-Duhur Airbase in Syria.

A senior Israeli official speaking to Ynet argued that the attack was the “toughest stance” taken to prevent Turkey’s attempt to establish a presence in the region. The official stated, “Turkey got the message and stopped this move, but it is unclear how long this will last.”

According to the report, the Israeli side assessed that Turkey was planning to deploy certain systems to the Abu al-Duhur region. The same official did not provide details regarding the nature of these elements but claimed they were “real and significant elements that should not be there.”

According to the Israeli official, Tel Aviv’s primary concern is the precedent set by a Turkish presence that could restrict the freedom of movement of the Israeli Air Force in Syrian airspace. While arguing that Turkey could become a threat in the long term, the official said, “I don’t think there will be a war with Turkey tomorrow morning.”

CLAIMS OF SECRET CONTACT WITH DAMASCUS

The same report stated that while Israel continues its contacts with Damascus through diplomatic channels, it does not refrain from using military force when necessary. The official described this approach as “quantum diplomacy,” inspired by US President Donald Trump.

Stating that Israel is trying to prevent a significant military buildup in southern Syria, the official expressed that maintaining cooperation with the Druze in the As-Suwayda region and ensuring international legitimacy for Israel’s actions are important for Tel Aviv.

The official also argued that Syrian President Ahmed Shara is gaining international standing and that Europe is contributing to the process of legitimizing Shara due to expectations regarding the return of Syrian refugees.

In his assessment of the Turkey-Shara relationship, the Israeli official claimed that despite public support, the relationship is not based on deep trust due to “conflicting regional ambitions.”

News Source: 12punto