Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2022 (Photo: Office of the
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan)
Amid mediation efforts between Israel and Turkey regarding Syria, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met separately over the weekend with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara. The meetings took place during a diplomatic conference in Antalya. This was reported on Sunday evening by Kan 11 News following the conclusion of the holiday.
Azerbaijan is optimistic that it can replicate the successful mediation efforts from three years ago, which led to the normalization of relations between Israel and Turkey.
A source familiar with the matter told Kan News that preventing a confrontation between Turkey and Israel in Syria is both possible and necessary. Each country can maintain its own interests there and delineate its red lines.
Regarding the meeting in Baku, the source said that the parties mainly listened to each other so they could “do their homework” and return for further talks.
Ultimately, the only two countries that stand to benefit from any conflict between Israel and Turkey in Syria are Iran and Russia, both of which have been pushed out of the region and are just waiting for an opportunity to return.
Tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria began after several airstrikes carried out by the IDF in Syria, including strikes in the “Palmyra” and T4 base areas. The main targets were strategic military capabilities and high-quality weapons left over from Assad’s rule, which Israel fears could fall into the hands of the new regime. At the same time, there were reports that Turkey was trying to take control of certain areas in Syria.
Since then, Israel has been holding talks with Turkey, with the next round of discussions set to begin after Passover. The decision to continue was made during a meeting between the parties in Azerbaijan, after no agreement was reached on easing tensions in Syria or finding a way to prevent war. These talks are part of an effort to establish a mechanism aimed at preventing military confrontations between Israeli and Turkish forces operating in Syria.
