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Turkey is planning to establish military bases in Syria and assist the country’s Islamist-led Interim Government in establishing security forces, Turkish media reported on May 25.
Syrian security sources TOLD the Turkiye Gazetesi and ODATV channel that Turkey wants to establish air, naval and ground force bases in the country in order to fight against ISIS. The sources didn’t reveal where the bases will be established.
The reports emerged amid a visit by Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa to Turkey, where he met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior Turkish officials. Sharaa was accompanied not only by his Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, but also by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra.
Turkey, which backed Islamists-led forces that overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad last December, has been working to build a strategic alliance, including a defense pact, with the Interim Government installed by its allies in Syria.
The plans faced a setback between March and April as Israeli strikes hit Palmyra and two other air bases in central Syria, T4 and Hama, which were scouted by the Turkish military for possible deployment. Israel reportedly rejected any expansion of Turkey’s current military deployment in the war torn country.
Later, however, tensions between Turkey and Israel began to ease after Azerbaijan mediated talks on a deconfliction mechanism between the two.
Israel also adopted a softer stance towards the Interim Government following secret direct talks, which began on the initiative of the United Arab Emirates.
United States President Donald Trump even asked Sharaa during a meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, earlier this month to make peace with Israel. Ahead of the meeting, Trump promised to leave all sanctions off the war-torn country in response to requests from both the kingdom and Turkey.
The renewed talk about Turkey’s plans to establish bases in Syria came just a day after reports revealed that the country and Israel had reached an agreement in principle on a deconfliction mechanism.
An Israeli official told the Israel Hayom daily that the agreement was reached on May 21, after over a month of talks in Azerbaijan.
A hotline will be used to avert clashes between Israel, which has troops in the south of the country, and Turkey, whose military is operating in the north of the country, two sources familiar with the issue told the Middle East Eye.
A source familiar with the talks told the news website that Israel was generally at ease with Ankara’s deployment of its forces in Syria, with the main issue over where Turkey would deploy its air defenses and radars, which could scan for Israeli aerial activities. The negotiations are now “focusing on the so-called Palmyra line,” where Turkey is eyeing an air base.
All in all, Turkey appears to be preparing with its plans for defensive pacts with Syria. Israel will not likely object to this, as long as it maintains the large area of influence it created in the south of the country right after the fall of the Assad regime.
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the turks already had their “great ottoman empire”. it’s our turn. whether you like it or not.
the turks should establish mirror ground bases right across the line of the new illegal israeli occupied areas in south syria.
exactly and hopefully they place an anti air umbrella there as well so all israeli bombings of syria are over for good. but i think its wishful thinking erdogan has been the biggest shabbos goy jew helper ever he single handedly aided israel in all its objectives and supplied them with oil and raw materials and arms to carry out the genocide against the palestinians. to think he will suddenly fight the zionists and help palestinians is bs.
so when is this erdogan shabbosgoy jew helping traitor ever going to do anything for the palestinians and syrians other then barking and helping israel in taking more land and genociding them? when is erdogan going to break israels naval blockade with turkeys navy in gaza and send food and aid to the starving palestinians? if hes such a great ottoman sultan that is at the very least a statement he should be making.
i would not have erdogan as a friend only as an enemy he is one of the most two-faced individuals i have come across .by his actions over the years he has proved he worships the god janus ( two faced god ) even his own people dont like him .
one minute he threatens to attack israel the next he is making friends with netanyahu he continues to send weapons to ukraine while accepting russian/oil/gas.if he was on the battle frontline i would make sure he would be in front of me –not behind.
erdogan konws the turkish people do not support the greater israels genocidial expansion . so he offers up lip service while operating in lockstep for israels desires
russia and israel should announce a temporary truce to fight these roaches and their al quaeda islamic goat fucking proxies together. turkey is way worse than either russia, israel, america, or even the kurds and the druze.
the allies carved syria like a pig carcass…heheheeeheeehh…thanks to russia!!!
clearly these bases will not interfere with new greater israel “security checkpoint ” bases