As Israel continues to escalate its attacks across Syria, they are running into some resistance from Turkey. Turkey is reportedly frustrated with the growing Israeli strikes on Syria, and there was an incident over the weekend where two Turkish F-16 fighter jets were scrambled into Syrian airspace and “interfered” with Israeli warplanes actively attacking targets inside Syria.
Officials are saying there was no direct conflict between the planes, though it is also being called the first direct contact between the two sides inside Syria. The Turkish planes reportedly tried to use electronic counter measures to try to warn the Israeli warplanes off.
Details are still relatively scant on the matter, and the IDF denied that anything happened at all, maintaining that they have “full freedom of operation” to carry out attacks inside Syria as they see fit.
Both Turkey and Israel were seen as supporting the regime change in Syria in December, but they took opposite paths after it happened. Turkey has been closely supporting the new government, while Israel invaded the south and has launched hundreds of airstrikes against the rest of the country.
Though their respective spheres of influence inside Syria don’t direct overlap, they are seen as conflicting, as seen in early April when Israel attacked an air base inside Syria that Turkey was intending to take over. Israel openly said the attack was a “message” to Turkey.
Turkey reinforced the base, and there has been concern the two sides are on a collision course ever since. At the US behest, Turkey and Israel were reported to have held deconfliction talks at the time.
Turkey sees Israel’s constant attacks on Syria as threatening what they envision as a potential ally, while Israel sees Turkey’s general interest in influence over Syria as a threat to their regional dominance.
Israeli officials have presented most recent Turkish advancements as posing a threat to Israel itself. Most recently, reports of Turkey’s advanced drone program and planned exports were being discussed, with feat that nations Israel is actively attacking, including Syria, might be sold such weapon.
