Israeli Occupation’s Escalating Strikes in Syria Seen as Warning to Turkiye – How?

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, 2024, “Israel” has relentlessly targeted military sites in Syria in an effort to prevent the new state from rising and building its military capabilities.

Tel Aviv has focused on attacking military barracks housing strategic defensive weapons across several Syrian provinces, alongside ground incursions into Quneitra and Daraa in southern Syria.

On April 2, 2025, “Israel” carried out a series of airstrikes on five distinct locations, including Damascus, Hama, and Homs. The strikes hit T4 airbase in Homs, a military airfield near Hama, and several military facilities in Damascus, including the Scientific Research Center in the Barzeh district.

In another attack, Israeli Occupation forces carried out “a ground operation” with dozens of military vehicles and armored tanks in the Jbeiliyeh forest between Nawa and Tsil towns in western Daraa. Local sources reported that residents from Nawa, Tsil, and surrounding areas clashed with the Israeli Occupation convoy, forcing it to retreat. Syrian state media reported that 11 civilians were killed and several others injured during the clashes.

Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the airstrikes, noting that they had “nearly destroyed Hama military airport” and left dozens of civilians and military personnel wounded. 

The Ministry called the escalation “a deliberate attempt to destabilize Syria and worsen the suffering of its people,” emphasizing that it constitutes a “blatant violation of international law and Syria's sovereignty.”

Israeli Occupation Attack

Israeli War Minister Israel Katz “warned” Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa after the recent airstrikes. “If you allow forces hostile to Israel to enter  Syria and endanger Israel’s security interests, you will pay a heavy price.” 

“The Air Force’s operations yesterday against the T-4 and Hama airports and in the Damascus area are a clear message and a warning for the future: We will not allow the State of Israel’s security to be harmed,” he added.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed concerns about Turkiye’s role in Syria, Lebanon, and other regions. “They are doing their utmost to have Syria as a Turkish protectorate. It's clear that is their intention,” he told a news conference in Paris.

Israeli media outlets have also weighed in on the renewed Israeli bombardment of Syria since the Assad regime’s collapse. The Jerusalem Post reported sources stating that the attacks were carried out “to send a message to Turkiye.” 

“The recent airstrikes in Syria are to convey a message to Turkiye,” an Israeli official told the newspaper.

“Do not establish a military base in the Syria and do not interfere with Israeli activity in the country's skies,” was the message according to the official.

“If a Turkish air base is established in Syria, it would undermine Israel's freedom of operation,” another Israeli security source told reporters on Monday, adding, “This is a potential threat that we oppose.”

Israeli media reported on March 23 that security sources claimed there were talks between Damascus and Ankara regarding giving a region near Palmyra in Homs countryside to the Turkish military in exchange for economic, military, and political support from Turkiye.

This came after the Israeli military launched airstrikes on two military bases in Palmyra on March 21, 2025.

At the time, Israeli military sources described the strikes as “extensive,” destroying capabilities that could have maintained Israeli air superiority in the region, according to Israel Hayom.

On March 23, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations with intelligence leaders to discuss a potential “clash” with the Turkish military on Syrian soil.

The Israeli Occupation is known for seeking air superiority over all the countries in the region, and Turkiye’s efforts to build defense capabilities in Syria are a growing concern, according to observers.

As a NATO member, Turkiye possesses advanced air defense missile systems used to protect military bases, ports, facilities, and units from aerial threats such as aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and air-to-ground missiles.

Turkiye also has the “Steel Dome,” a system equipped with air defense weapons, radar, electro-optical systems, communication units, command control stations, and artificial intelligence, which is considered a “guardian” of Turkish airspace.

Limiting Israeli Attacks

Negotiations between Ankara and Damascus for a defense agreement began in December 2024, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. The agreement would ensure that Turkiye provides air coverage and military protection for the new Syrian government.

Turkiye has begun efforts to take control of Syria’s Tiyas air base, also known as T4, and is preparing to deploy air defence systems there, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.

Turkiye has begun moving to take control of the T4 air base, located near Palmyra in central Syria.

“A Hisar-type air defence system will be deployed to T4 to provide air cover for the base,” one of the sources said.

“Once the system is in place, the base will be reconstructed and expanded with necessary facilities. Ankara also plans to deploy surveillance and armed drones, including those with extended strike capabilities.”

The base will help Turkiye consolidate air control over the region and support efforts to combat ISIS, which still has active cells in Syria's desert.

Ultimately, Ankara aims to establish a multi-layered air defense system at and around the base, with short, medium, and long-range capabilities against a variety of threats, including jet fighters, drones, and missiles.

A second source told Middle East Eye that the presence of Turkish air defense systems and drones is likely to deter “Israel” from conducting airstrikes in the region.

The head of the Rasd Center for Strategic Studies, Brigadier General Dr. Abdullah al-Asaad, said “Israel fears Turkiye’s presence in Syria because it threatens to clip its wings and curb its bombing runs.”

“When Turkiye gets serious about building bases in Syria, the skies fall under its watch — and Israel loses its license to strike.”

“However, in the end, Turkiye cannot protect all Syrian territory, only the areas where it has a presence on the ground,” he said.

“Israel wants to block Turkiye from cementing a long-term military foothold in Syria through deals with the new government. That’s why its strikes on Tadmur and T4 airports weren’t random — they targeted key infrastructure and carried a clear message to Ankara, likely triggered by the arrival of fresh military assets.”

“Israel wants Syria to be its safe, demilitarized backyard, with no active military forces, allowing Israel to operate as it pleases and gradually begin taking Syrian land in defined stages,” al-Asaad added.

Following the fall of Assad, “Israel” canceled the Disengagement Agreement signed with Hafez al-Assad’s regime in 1974 and began intensifying its airstrikes, targeting and destroying Syria's military capabilities through heavy air raids and ground incursions.

The Israeli Occupation also occupied Jabal al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon) and territories extending over 25 km deep into Syria, adding to the Golan Heights, which have been under Israeli occupation since 1967.

Jabal al-Sheikh is located between Syria and Lebanon, overlooking the occupied Golan Heights, and can be seen from Jordan.

A Guarantee for Security

In February 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the complete demilitarization of southern Syria, which includes three provinces (Daraa, Quneitra, and Sweida), warning that his government would not accept the presence of security forces from the new Syrian authorities near its borders.

In a speech at the emergency Arab summit in Cairo in March 2025, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa urged the international community to pressure “Israel” for the immediate withdrawal from southern Syria.

Since the fall of Assad, Turkiye has shown support to its neighbor Syria, helping it rebuild and offering assistance in various sectors.

On February 4, 2025, al-Sharaa visited Ankara, his second foreign visit after Saudi Arabia since officially taking office on January 29, 2025. During his visit, he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex in Ankara, where they held a joint press conference. Erdogan confirmed there was a consensus between Ankara and Damascus on all issues.

However, Turkiye has not issued any official statements regarding long-term military presence in Syria following the fall of Assad.

On April 3, 2025, the Turkish Ministry of Defense (MSB) stated that only official statements from relevant authorities should be considered regarding developments in Syria.

In this context, Syrian writer Abdulaziz al-Khalifa said Turkiye aims to help Syria become a strong neighbor, capable of securing its borders and safeguarding its stability.

“Ankara sees Damascus’s weakness as a multi-layered security risk — not just due to Kurdish groups, but also because of extremist factions and tensions with remnants of the Assad regime along the coast, which could spill over into Turkish territory,” he told Al-Estiklal.

“Ankara believes Israel’s continued strikes and incursions are delaying the Syrian government’s ability to restore order.”

“Israel relies on Syria’s fragility as a security buffer; it wants Syrian territory to remain a playground for its operations — fragmented, weak, and unsupported by meaningful international efforts toward unity or peace,” he added.

“From a logical standpoint, Turkiye’s presence in Syria isn’t a direct threat to Israel. The real conflict lies in competing visions — each side wants a different future for Syria, one that serves its own strategic interests.”