US working to establish Israel-Turkey-Syria deconfliction mechanism after Israeli strikes

The United States is actively working to create a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Turkey, and Syria after Israeli airstrikes targeted a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border. U.S. special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, revealed that Turkey had not been forewarned about the strikes, which he noted could have led to a Turkish military response as the aircraft flew north toward its territory.

"Thankfully, calm heads were able to prevent the situation from deteriorating further," Barrack told Reuters, highlighting the critical need for improved communication. Turkey condemned the strikes on the Abu al-Dahur airbase in northwestern Syria but offered no further comment. A deconfliction mechanism is essentially a communication channel designed to avert misunderstandings or unintended military encounters between different actors.

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Thankfully, calm heads were able to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, explained that the Israeli strikes likely stemmed from a perception that Turkey might increase its presence at the base. "This underscores the need for a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria and Türkiye," he said, using the Turkish name for Turkey. "That is something we are actively working on to establish in order to prevent future miscommunication."

The airbase, located about 70 kilometers east of the Turkish border, has a history of changing hands during Syria's civil war. Syrian state media reported eight Israeli airstrikes hit the runway and storage facilities, but a military source and a local civilian reported no casualties. Israel has consistently targeted sites in Syria to counter Iranian influence and prevent weapons transfers to Hezbollah.

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This underscores the need for a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria and Türkiye. That is something we are actively working on to establish in order to prevent future miscommunication.