Diplomats from Ankara and Damascus issue warnings to Israel regarding potential actions in Syria
In the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, tensions between Turkey and Israel are escalating, centred around Syria and the YPG fighters.
The root of the conflict lies in fundamentally conflicting strategic visions and actions in Syria. While Turkey supports Syrian unity and territorial integrity, opposing any fragmentation, Israel favours empowering minority groups to limit Turkey’s influence in Syria. This approach is seen by Turkey as a direct challenge aimed at containing Turkey’s regional ambitions and strategic depth.
Key aspects of the tensions include Syria as a competitive battleground, the YPG fighters and Kurdish issue, military escalations and modernization, and a broader regional rivalry. Israel’s ongoing airstrikes and aggressive military operations in Syria, including targeting Syrian forces and allied militias near the Israeli border, have raised alarm in Ankara. In response, Turkey is significantly accelerating its military modernization, including new jet purchases and missile stockpiling, heightening the risk of direct clashes or miscalculations.
The tension reflects a broader strategic rivalry where Israel aims for regional military dominance, viewing Turkey’s growing influence and alliance in Syria as a threat. Turkey, a NATO member but increasingly assertive in the Middle East, challenges Israel’s position. This rivalry goes beyond Syria to encompass influence over regional order, alliances, and security.
Ongoing clashes and instability in southern Syria involving local groups, Druze and Bedouin, have further complicated the situation. Israel has intervened with airstrikes to support some groups (Druze) against others, while Syria accuses Israel of inflaming sectarian tensions. Turkey’s stance directly opposes fragmentation, contrasting Israel’s tactical interventions.
Hakan Fidan, Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head, has expressed his concerns over the recent violence in Syria, particularly in the coastal Alawite heartland of Latakia, the southwestern Druze-majority province of Sweida, and the Kurdish-dominated northeast. He believes that the PKK's failure to disband and send home foreign fighters is a concern for Turkey’s security, and the YPG's refusal to integrate into the Syrian state is a challenge and obstacle facing the positive process underway.
Asaad al-Shaibani, Syria's Foreign Minister, has also voiced his concerns, accusing foreign actors of exacerbating the unrest within Syria and warning against efforts to create chaos in Syria. The Syrian government, backed by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah during the war, is now facing multiple foreign interventions, both direct and indirect, pushing Syria toward sectarian and regional strife.
In the current environment, Hakan Fidan has warned that Turkey’s security demands remain unmet, and there is no chance of remaining calm. He believes that the emergence of chaos in Syria has become a priority for Israel’s national security, and certain actors, including Israel and Kurdish YPG fighters, are troubled by the positive developments in Syria.
These tensions, with their military, strategic, and ideological dimensions, underscore the complex and volatile nature of the Middle East, where the pursuit of regional influence often leads to conflict and instability.
The escalating tensions between Turkey and Israel, rooted in conflicting strategies in Syria, also involve politics and environmental aspects, as Israel's backing of minority groups and ongoing military actions are seen by Turkey as challenging its regional ambitions and strategic depth, potentially leading to environmental destruction in Syria. In the general news, Hakan Fidan's concerns about chaos in Syria and the emergence of instability in the Middle East highlight the complex interplay of politics, environment, and security in the region.
