Turkey has been trying to deploy radars on Syrian soil in recent weeks, two Western intelligence sources told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, amid an escalating confrontation between Israel and Turkey over Ankara's presence in Syria.
Deploying radars in Syrian territory would significantly restrict the Israel Air Force's freedom of action in Syrian airspace, as was the case in recent strikes, as Turkish radars could detect Israeli aircraft activity over the country.
It would also complicate Israel's ability to strike targets in Iran, given that Israeli aircraft frequently use Syrian airspace as a transit route to the Islamic Republic.
One of the sources told the Post that Turkey is planning to transfer the radar systems to the Syrian military, presenting the move as a step to bolster President Ahmed al-Sharaa's forces. However, Turkish personnel would remain responsible for operating the systems, giving Ankara access to and control over the intelligence gathered.
Israel, concerned over Turkish encroachment, strikes Syrian Air Force bases
Shortly after the fall of Assad's regime last year, Israel carried out airstrikes on military installations in Syria, including Syrian Air Force bases such as the T-4, amid growing concern that Turkey would establish permanent military outposts and deploy drones.
Shortly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime last year, Israel struck military bases in Syria, including Syrian Air Force bases such as the T-4, out of concern that Turkey would establish permanent bases there and station drones.
A security official said at the time that the possibility of Turkey building an air base in Syria represented a “potential threat.”
“If a Turkish air base is established, it would entail a violation of Israel's freedom of action in Syria,” the official said. “This is a potential threat that we oppose. We struck the bases to send a message that we will not allow any impairment of our aerial freedom of action.”
Turkish officials meet Assad, Israel monitors with concern
This week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın held talks with Assad in Damascus, alongside senior Turkish officials. In Jerusalem, defense officials are closely monitoring the tightening relationship between Ankara and Damascus and assessing the implications for Israel’s operational landscape.
Analysts warn that the radar deployment could enhance Syria’s air defense capabilities, allowing for better detection of Israeli operations. According to foreign reports, the Israel Air Force regularly transits Syrian airspace en route to operations in Iraq and Iran.
The confrontation escalated further this week when the pro-government Turkish daily Yeni Şafak ran the headline: “Israel is Turkey’s number one enemy.”
The article appeared one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus in Nicosia. During the trilateral summit, Netanyahu remarked: “Those who fantasize about restoring their empires will not succeed.”
Erdogan responded: “Whether in the Eastern Mediterranean or anywhere else, we do not take what is not lawfully ours, and we do not allow our rights to be taken.”
He added, “Agreements can be made, documents can be signed, and messages can be conveyed in various ways, but none of this will change our policy. Those responsible for the blood of more than 70,000 Palestinians have no moral standing in our eyes; their provocations are nothing more than empty noise.”
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