Report: Israel, Turkey establish direct communications to avoid Syria clash

Israel and Turkey have set up a permanent direct line to prevent misunderstandings and potential military escalations in Syria, sources close to the discussions confirmed to the UK-based Middle East Eye on Wednesday.

This initiative follows direct negotiations between the two nations organized in the Azerbaijani capital Baku since April. These diplomatic exchanges come as Ankara has emerged as a major player in Syria following the fall of president Bashar al-Assad. The Israeli government has publicly expressed its concerns about this new status quo, opposing any Turkish military deployment in the country.

Officials from the Netanyahu government have previously labeled new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's administration as "radical jihadists" and emphasized that Israel would not tolerate a Turkish occupation of air bases near Palmyra, a strategic site in the fight against the Islamic State. Despite these reservations, the two countries have engaged in talks mediated by Azerbaijan to establish a deconfliction mechanism. Although a fifth round of negotiations is scheduled for this month, the direct line was activated in April to quickly resolve any accidental military misunderstanding.

A source familiar with the negotiations indicates that the Israeli government largely accepts the deployment of Turkish ground forces in Syria, including tanks and infantry. However, the placement of Turkish air defense systems and radars remains a major point of friction, as these equipment can potentially monitor Israeli air operations. Last month, Ankara undertook to take control of the T4 airbase near Palmyra, triggering a campaign of repeated Israeli strikes against this facility.