Türkiye, Jordan, Syria set to discuss Israeli aggression, terrorism
The foreign ministers of Jordan and Syria will be hosted by their Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in the capital, Ankara, on Monday. The trilateral meeting will focus on Israel’s aggression targeting Syria and other regional countries, as well as common challenges such as terrorism.
Foreign Ministry sources told Anadolu Agency (AA) that at the meeting, Fidan would reaffirm Türkiye’s strong support for the new Syrian government to reinforce security and stability in Türkiye’s neighbor.
He is also expected to call for an end to Israel’s aggressive stance toward countries in the region, including Syria, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation and ownership.
Fidan is expected to stress that there is no place for terrorist groups in the region’s future, highlighting Türkiye’s firm commitment to ensuring this.
Emphasizing a “regional solutions to regional problems” approach, Fidan is expected to advocate for stronger solidarity among neighboring countries in tackling shared challenges, including terrorism.
He is also set to highlight that cooperation between Syria and neighboring countries in counterterrorism efforts would contribute significantly to both regional and global security.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Fidan is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his Jordanian and Syrian counterparts as well.
Türkiye is worried about Israel’s attacks in Syria in the post-Assad era, with Defense Ministry sources stressing last Thursday that the airstrikes aim only to harm the country’s stability.
The sources did not openly respond to questions about tensions with Israel in Syria, where Turkish troops are still stationed in northern parts, saying they were in coordination with Syria’s new government for the safe conduct of military activities in the country.
Over the past weeks, Israel has struck deep inside Syria, with unconfirmed reports suggesting Turkish and Israeli warplanes had a close encounter over the weekend.
The reports, officially denied by Israel, sparked alarm over the possible consequences of any confrontation in Syria, where Türkiye has carried out several cross-border operations to wipe out terrorist groups in the past and enjoys close cooperation with the current administration. The fall of the Assad regime prompted Israel to exploit a brief security vacuum to capture parts of the Golan Heights contested between Israel and Syria. Later, it launched strikes against what it deemed security threats. Israel also acts under the pretext of the protection of the Druze community in Syria while barely hiding its intentions to expand the current conflict with Palestinians to a wider region, a fact Türkiye repeatedly warned about.
Israel has launched strikes in the past in Syria, targeting what it called Iran’s paramilitary forces. Tel Aviv now sees the current administration, whose ideology or mindset entirely runs counter to the Assad regime’s oppressive policies, as a threat.
Turkish officials have voiced frustration at Israel’s operations in Syria, including strikes it says were to protect the Druze minority but that Ankara sees as a threat to its interests and regional stability. “Israel is trying to dynamite the Dec. 8 revolution by stirring up ethnic and religious affiliations and turning minorities in Syria against the government,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last month.
For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an expanded Turkish military presence in Syria is a threat. “We don’t want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base for attack in Israel,” Netanyahu said last month.
Source: Daily Sabah
