Israel opens secret channels with Turkey to avoid friction over Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – An Israeli military source on Sunday said Israel has opened secret communication channels with Turkey to avoid friction following Israeli strikes on Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Idlib Governorate, northwestern Syria, days earlier.

A senior defense official told Kan News that “Israel does not want to turn Turkey into an enemy,” adding that the two countries have “covert channels between the countries to transfer messages and avoid friction.”

“When the messages don’t help, Israel has to act,” the source said, apparently referring to the possibility of further attacks.

Last week, Israel launched an attack on Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria, saying at the time that it would not allow a Turkish military presence near its border.

Following the strikes, Turkey denied having a presence at the targeted base, saying that “no Turkish military delegation was present at the Syrian airbase before or during the Israeli strikes.”

Damascus also denied that Ankara intended to establish a permanent military presence on Syrian territory.

Separately, Israeli media reported that the Israeli military is concerned about a possible escalation of tensions with Turkey over its activities in Syria, amid fears that an exchange of threats between the two sides could restrict the Israeli military’s freedom of action inside Syrian territory.

By Abdulsalam Khoja