Netanyahu to visit Azerbaijan in May for Syria, Türkiye talks: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to Baku in the first half of May to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, two sources told Israeli media outlet The Times of Israel.

The visit reportedly will focus on regional security issues and diplomatic coordination, including recent trilateral talks involving Türkiye and Syria.

Syria coordination and deconfliction mechanism on agenda

A central topic of discussion reportedly will be ongoing efforts to develop a Syria deconfliction mechanism between Türkiye and Israel.

Azerbaijan has played a mediating role in the talks. The first technical meeting between Turkish and Israeli delegations took place in Baku on April 9, confirmed by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense during a weekly press briefing.

“The first technical meeting was held yesterday (April 9) in Azerbaijan to establish a deconfliction mechanism to avoid unwanted incidents in Syria. Efforts will continue toward establishing this mechanism,” the ministry stated.

The ministry later clarified that the talks are not part of a normalization process but are instead aimed at avoiding direct military clashes during operations in Syria.

“This is not a normalization process, but rather a structure of communication and coordination aimed at ensuring safe and controlled military activities in Syria and preventing direct clashes between the two countries,” the ministry noted.

Netanyahu and Aliyev to discuss Abraham Accords integration

The visit is also expected to include discussions on formally connecting Azerbaijan to the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, according to the Israeli report.

Strengthening bilateral ties and exploring potential trilateral cooperation with the United States are additional objectives.

Earlier this month, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the same day, signaling Azerbaijan’s increasing involvement in regional diplomacy.

US backs deconfliction initiative between Türkiye and Israel

In March, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Baku to meet with President Aliyev.

The Donald Trump administration reportedly encouraged Türkiye and Israel to engage in deconfliction talks due to growing risks of military miscalculation in Syria.

A Washington official and a regional source cited by Middle East Eye indicated concern over the proximity of Turkish and Israeli forces in Syrian airspace following the collapse of the Assad regime.

Ongoing dialogue to maintain regional stability

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the recent meeting in Baku, noting that delegations led by National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi and senior officials from both the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Türkiye participated.

“In line with a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a diplomatic-security delegation led by National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi and including senior representatives from the Ministry of Defense and security agencies met with a Turkish delegation,” the office said.

The statement expressed appreciation to Azerbaijan and President Aliyev for hosting the discussions. “Each side presented its interests in the region. It was agreed to continue on the path of dialogue to maintain regional stability,” the office added.