Fidan says Turkey-Israel deconfliction talks over Syria underway: What to know
As the two countries have initiated deconfliction talks, Israel sets a red line on military deployments near Palmyra.
ANKARA — The first round of talks began on Wednesday between Turkey and Israel on a deconfliction mechanism over Syria, both Turkish and Israeli officials said Thursday. The discussions marked a rare sign of coordination following a recent flare-up between the two regional powers in Syria last week, but Israel set a red line warning against any Turkish military expansion near Palmyra. Azerbaijan enjoys close ties with both regional powers.
“Yesterday, the first technical meeting was held in Azerbaijan to establish a mechanism for deconfliction in order to prevent unwanted events in Syria,” a high-level Turkish Defense Ministry official told journalists on condition of anonymity. “Efforts will continue to establish the deconfliction mechanism.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday that technical-level talks with Israel were underway for the purposes of avoiding military mishaps in Syria.
“I can say that there are technical contacts in place to prevent combat elements from misunderstanding each other,” Fidan said in an exclusive interview with a national broadcaster.
