Watch Webinar – Collision Course? Israel, Turkey, and the Future of Syria
On August 18, Israeli fighter jets struck the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria’s Idlib province, citing intelligence that Damascus was prepared to permit the stationing of Turkish troops there in violation of a security understanding with Israel. Israel said it had warned Syria repeatedly before striking and claims to have shared intelligence with the United States; current U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack disputed this, saying Washington received no advance notice. Turkey—which already posts troops in northern Syria—denied any intention to establish a military presence at the base, called the strikes “reckless,” and warned Israel against further actions. Washington has since scrambled to establish a deconfliction mechanism among the three parties.
The episode has exposed a deepening competition between Israel and Turkey over Syria’s future. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Turkey has emerged as Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s principal backer, formalizing military cooperation agreements and expanding its footprint across the country. Israel views Turkish military infrastructure—particularly air defense systems—as a direct threat to its freedom of action over Syrian airspace, including for its operations against Iran.
To discuss the Israel-Turkey-Syria triangle and its implications for U.S. policy and regional stability, JINSA hosted a webinar featuring JINSA Distinguished Fellow IDF MG (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, Israel’s former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, and JINSA Distinguished Scholar and former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Amb. Eric Edelman. Blaise Misztal, JINSA’s Vice President for Policy, moderated the discussion.
Blaise Misztal, JINSA’s Vice President for Policy, moderated the discussion.
Amb. Eric Edelman Amb. Eric Edelman is a Distinguished Scholar at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense & Strategy and the Co-Chair of its Iran Policy Project and Eastern Mediterranean Policy Project. Amb. Edelman served in senior positions at the Departments of State and Defense as well as the White House where he led organizations providing analysis, strategy, policy development, security services, trade advocacy, public outreach, citizen services, and congressional relations. |
Blaise Misztal Blaise Misztal is the Vice President for Policy at JINSA. Misztal previously was a Fellow at the Hudson Institute, and has held roles as the Executive Director of the Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States and Director of the National Security Program at the Bipartisan Policy Center. |
