Turkey and Israel Deconfliction talks regarding Syria

There has been recent news about these talks, I’m going to make some quick points after sharing the news

Link

Turkish and Israeli officials began talks on Wednesday aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed on Wednesday that technical talks were taking place, emphasizing that such mechanisms were necessary to prevent misunderstandings between the two regional powers’ forces.

The talks were similar to deconfliction mechanisms Türkiye has with the US and Russia, he said on broadcaster CNN Turk.

Thank you for stating that fact Mr Fidan- Yes, the US and Russia had deconfliction protocols in place regarding Syria, as does Turkey.

From 2015 at my former site- Breaking news Russia, US sign deconfliction deal & From the originating news source- RT

The document “has important practical value. It regulates the actions of manned and unmanned aircraft in the airspace above Syria. The Memorandum contains a set of rules and limitations aimed at preventing incidents between the air forces of Russia and the US,” the Defense Ministry says.

As soon as the agreement comes into force, there will be 24/7 communication channels established between the Russian and American military commanders. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, its US counterparts have pledged to convey the agreement’s details to their anti-Islamic State coalition partners, so that they, too, follow the rules it sets.

Some key points

• 1st – This does not mean Israel and Turkey are “on the same team” despite any nonsensical claims made

• 2nd– It’s an indication that there is serious risk of conflict between Turkey and Israel. It in fact indicates the potential for direct dispute.

• 3rd – Generally speaking, since war is an abomination against humanity- deconfliction can go a long way towards reducing calamitous escalation

• 4th – Turkey knows the US stands behind Israel. Turkey is in NATO but is not supported by the US. So it’s likely better to make this type of arrangement in advance from a realpolitik perspective, even if just from a public relations point of view- Though I suspect this is more than just PR.

To summarize.. take the deconfliction talks as a sign Turkey and Israel are in conflict, serious conflict, regarding Syria. Which they are. And, hope like heck things don’t get any worse, though it’s hard to believe that’s possible, it is!