Turkish plans to establish a presence and air defenses on Syrian soil would hinder Israel’s operational freedom, a situation Israel is unlikely to accept in the post-October 7 Middle East.

A source familiar with the matter told MEE that Turkey has begun moving to take control of the T4 air base, located near Palmyra in central Syria. “A Hisar-type air defence system will be deployed to T4 to provide air cover for the base,” the source said.

At least nine people in southwestern Syria were reported killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday as Israel accused Turkiye of trying to build a 'protectorate' in Syria.

The Israeli air force consistently aims at targets across Syria, including the Palmyra base. The Turkish presence there ‘is a potential threat,’

The Netanyahu administration is worried that Ankara could be on the way to fill the vacuum left by Russia and Iran in Syria

As domestic stability gets wobbly in Turkey the destabilizing effect can radiate out to the neighboring countries, to the region and beyond

The recent arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has escalated political conflicts within Turkey and critically threatened the country’s democratic situation. Beyond its internal impact, this incident could change Turkey’s geographic and political position in the Middle East,