Description: Turkish and Israeli security and diplomatic officials held technical talks in Azerbaijan in order to discuss de-escalation of military tensions in Syria. Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi accompanied by several military and security officials met with their Turkish counterparts where regional interest were outlined to maintain stability. Turkey has recently targeted several sites in Syria in the Palmyra region as potential grounds for establishing military bases. Israel responded by bombing those sites and pummeling their infrastructure entirely stating risks that Turkey aimed at turning Syria into their protectorate. Representatives from both sides stated these talks would continue as a constant mechanism for maintaining stability and protecting regional interests.
Impact: Israel and Turkey have recently clashed repeatedly over establishing presence and asserting influence in Syria. The immediate engagement in bilateral talks indicates that despite having diametrically opposing interests in the region, both countries want to avoid direct confrontation. Turkey has significantly exploited Bashar Al – Assad’s fall in Syria cultivating strategic relations with the newly established regime. Israel is currently engaged on multiple fronts, with military offensives in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the Golan Heights in Syria. Obvious geostrategic obstacles persist for both countries, as the negotiations would set the tone in the future indirect confrontation for power and influence in Syria.