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https://theconversation.com/why-israel-and-turkey-are-trading-insults-and-jockeying-for-power-in-neighbouring-syria-290730>
"When Israeli jets struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria on August
18, Israel said the attack was meant to stop Turkish forces from deploying
there to help rebuild Syria’s army.
US intelligence found no evidence to support the claim, and Turkey and Syria
denied any such plan.
In the weeks since, Israel and Turkey – the two countries with the most
powerful militaries in the region – have traded their harshest words in years.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has branded Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan an “antisemitic tyrant”, while Erdoğan has
accused Israel of being a “terror state”.
Israeli media also reported this week that Turkish warships have approached
Israeli vessels in the Mediterranean Sea and forced them to change course.
Both governments say they do not want war. So, why are two close US allies –
one a NATO member, the other a nuclear power – suddenly circling each other
over Syria?
The tensions are tied to Syria’s collapse in late 2024 when a rebel army led by
now-President Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Syria’s two powerful neighbours have since exploited this moment very
differently: Turkey has acted at the invitation of the Syrian authorities,
while Israel has not. It therefore has no legal basis to police Syria’s
territory or determine its security and political future."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
