Israeli Strikes in Syria Pose Challenge to Turkey

Escalating Israel-Turkey Rivalry in Syria: A Threat to Fragile Stability

Key Developments

1. Israeli Airstrikes Target Syrian Military Infrastructure
   • On April 2, 2025, Israel conducted intensive airstrikes on Hama military airport and the T4 airbase near Homs, virtually destroying Hama’s runways, radar systems, and weapons depots 128.
   • The strikes were framed as preemptive measures to prevent Turkish military entrenchment in Syria, particularly at T4, which Ankara reportedly seeks to convert into a drone base 810.
2. Underlying Israel-Turkey Confrontation
   • Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Turkey of trying to turn Syria into a “Turkish protectorate”, while Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, against allowing hostile forces (implying Turkish-backed groups) near Israeli borders 16.
   • Turkey retaliated by labeling Israel a “strategic destabilizer” and demanding its withdrawal from Syria 110.
3. Syria’s Fragile Interim Government Caught in the Middle
   • Al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate now leading Syria’s interim government, has sought non-confrontation with Israel, even hinting at future normalization 6.
   • However, Israel remains distrustful, bombing former Assad-era military sites to prevent their use by jihadist factions or Turkish forces 68.
4. Human and Strategic Costs
   • Syrian reports claim 9+ civilian deaths in Daraa from Israeli shelling, with mosques in Damascus and Daraa calling for jihad against Israeli forces 67.
   • Israel insists its operations target weapons caches and militant infrastructure, citing intercepted Hezbollah-bound arms shipments as justification 69.
5. Regional Power Play
   • Turkey aims to expand influence via a defense pact with Syria, potentially stationing troops at T4 and Aleppo airbases 610.
   • Israel seeks to enforce a demilitarized southern Syria, occupying buffer zones and destroying remnants of Assad’s military 89.

The Israel-Turkey rivalry risks further destabilizing Syria, undermining al-Sharaa’s efforts to unify the country. While Israel frames its strikes as counterterrorism, Turkey sees them as expansionism. With Syrian civilians caught in the crossfire and jihadist factions exploiting the chaos, the situation mirrors the early stages of Syria’s civil war—where external powers fueled internal fractures. Without U.S. or EU mediation, the conflict could escalate into a broader regional crisis