Israel and Turkey to hold Azerbaijan-mediated talks in Baku
Representatives from Turkey and Israel are set to meet today in the capital of Azerbaijan for informal negotiations.
According to Israeli TV channel Kan 11, the meeting is being organized with the mediation of Azerbaijan and aims to ease tensions related to Turkey’s growing activity in Syria and the threat of a direct military confrontation between the two countries.
Sources say the Israeli side intends to present two key security demands: the exclusion of hostile armed groups near its borders, and the prevention of the deployment of strategic weaponry in Syria that could threaten Israel’s national security.
The need for urgent consultations arose after the first recorded incident of direct contact between the Israeli and Turkish air forces in Syrian airspace. Reports state that on the night from Friday to Saturday, Turkish F-16 fighter jets entered Syrian airspace during heavy Israeli airstrikes on several targets, including objects allegedly linked to Turkey.
It is noted that Turkish pilots sent “warning signals” to the Israeli Air Force using electronic warfare and communication systems, signaling their presence in the operation zone.
The talks in Baku are expected to be an important step toward de-escalation and the creation of mechanisms to prevent conflicts between two key regional powers.
