Shafaq News- Washington
Washington is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Turkiye and Syria following Israeli strikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase, US Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq and Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack said Tuesday.
In an interview with Reuters, Barrack noted that Turkiye had not been informed in advance of the Israeli strikes, prompting it to track aircraft heading north toward its territory. In his assessment, Ankara could have mounted a military response of its own.
“Cool heads” had prevented the situation from deteriorating further, Barrack explained, adding that Turkiye had condemned the Israeli strikes on Abu al-Duhur airbase without commenting on the possibility of establishing a deconfliction mechanism.
The strikes reflected a perception, whether accurate or not, that Turkiye could expand its presence at Abu al-Duhur airbase in the coming months, according to Barrack. The development, he stressed, underscored the need for a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria and Turkiye. Washington is currently working to establish one to prevent future miscommunication, he added.
For now, the priority is to reduce tensions and allow for a more measured approach, Barrack indicated. The United States is already facilitating information-sharing and dialogue among the parties, he noted, but a more robust mechanism with greater resources is needed to prevent misunderstandings and inadvertent confrontations.
Israel launched eight strikes on Abu al-Duhur airbase in the Idlib countryside early Tuesday, targeting the base’s runway and storage facilities.
Located about 70 kilometers from the Turkish border, Abu al-Duhur airbase has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013. Reports have suggested that Turkiye could increase its presence there.
The strikes come amid rising tensions between Israel and Turkiye over Syria. Ankara supports Syria’s new government and has provided it with military and diplomatic backing, while Israel says it is closely monitoring any steps that could strengthen Syria’s military capabilities.