Turning Türkiye into an enemy would be a grave mistake: Former Israeli diplomat
People, carrying flags, stage a protest, demanding the return of Israeli hostages in Gaza, as they gather at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 7, 2025. (AA Photo)
Amid tensions between Israel and Türkiye over strategic competition in Syria, former Israeli Ambassador to Egypt and Ankara Amira Oron is urging a diplomatic approach, according to Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth.
Oron cautioned that escalating hostilities with Ankara could seriously undermine regional stability.
“Turning Türkiye into an enemy like Iran would be a grave mistake,” she said. “Despite Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric, Türkiye plays a significant role in maintaining Syria’s stability.”
Her comments come at a time of intensified friction, Israel carried out airstrikes on three Syrian air bases that had reportedly been recently surveyed by Türkiye for potential military deployment.
Türkiye and Israel hold deconfliction talks in Azerbaijan
Turkish and Israeli officials held a technical meeting in Azerbaijan to discuss the establishment of a deconfliction mechanism in Syria, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense (MoD) confirmed during a weekly press briefing.
According to MoD sources, “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 Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that delegations from Israel and Türkiye met in Baku to discuss mutual interests and the establishment of a deconfliction mechanism in Syria aimed at preventing future clashes.
“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 statement said.
Israel expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev for hosting the talks. “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.
Azerbaijan has emerged as a mediator, seeking to ease tensions between Türkiye and Israel.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed his commitment to fostering normalization between the two nations, underscoring his strong relations with both sides.
