Israel and Turkey have officially begun talks aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries by establishing a mechanism to prevent friction in Syria.
An Israeli delegation, led by National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military secretary Roman Gofman traveled to the Azeri capital on Wednesday, where they met with senior Turkish officials.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that the first round of talks in Baku were held in a positive atmosphere, while stressing that the process is still at its very beginning.
Israel made it unequivocally clear to the Turks that any change in the deployment of foreign forces in Syria, particularly the establishment of Turkish bases in the Palmyra region, crosses a red line and would be considered a serious breach, a diplomatic source told The Post.
Turkey had set its sights on the T-4 Airbase in the area, and is interested in turning it into a drone base. Israel has attacked this base multiple times in recent months and stressed that “any action that endangers Israel will also endanger the Assad regime.”
Israel, it seems, is willing to accept Turkish influence in Syria, but not at the expense of its own freedom of action in Syrian airspace, which, according to foreign reports, is crucial for any operations against Iran.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying that during the talks, each side presented its regional interests, and it was agreed to continue the dialogue channel to maintain regional security stability.
Azeri envoy to ‘Post’: We are ready to support positive Israel-Turkey ties
In a speech on Wednesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said his country was helping to calm tensions between the two nations. Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Israel, Mukhtar Mammadov, told the Post that “Azerbaijan is very close to Turkey and a friend of Israel. We want to see relations between you develop positively, and we are ready to support that.”
President Trump also said this week that he hopes the tension between the two countries will be resolved, referring to Erdoğan as “his friend.” Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly told cabinet ministers on Wednesday that he would ask Trump to mediate if needed, given his close ties with Erdogan.
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