Why Turkey welcomes Israel-Syria talks despite mounting red lines
Turkey supports US-backed Israel-Syria talks but sees little prospect of a lasting accommodation until the Israeli elections.
ANKARA — Turkey has welcomed US-mediated Israel-Syria talks, but remains skeptical that Israel is ready to accommodate a stronger Syrian state backed by Ankara.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Mossad chief Roman Gofman held talks in Jordan last Sunday under US mediation aimed at de-escalating tensions and reviving Israel-Syria security negotiations. The discussions also addressed Israeli-Turkish tensions, following Israel’s August 18 attack on the Abu al-Duhur base in northern Syria, roughly 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the Turkish border.
The proximity of the strikes to the Turkish border has increased fears of a direct confrontation between Israel and Turkey. While the Israeli side cited Turkey’s alleged attempts to deploy advanced military technology on the defunct military airbase, Ankara rejected the claim, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of conducting the strikes to bolster his political standing ahead of the nationwide parliamentary elections in the country in October.
The tensions prompted Washington to step up de-escalation efforts between Turkey and Israel.
