Israeli media are reporting growing concern within the country’s leadership over what they describe as the possible formation of a “triangle” linking Washington, Ankara and Damascus. The reports follow the visit of Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sara, to Washington, where he also met U.S. President Donald Trump. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is said to have joined part of the meeting, sparking speculation about closer coordination among the three capitals.
Ankara’s position
After the talks, Fidan said discussions focused on Turkey’s stance toward “problematic areas in southern Syria”, referring to Druze-populated regions considered highly sensitive for Israel, as well as the country’s northeast, where the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) operate.
Speaking later to Turkish broadcaster A Haber, Fidan stated: “We told the Americans: do not let southern Syria become a field for new terrorist organisations or foreign interventions. We need a joint strategy. Turkey is ready to cooperate with the U.S. and the new administration in Damascus to stabilise the region. Israel should not exploit the power vacuum to expand beyond the Golan Heights. That would be unacceptable and would trigger a new crisis.”
Israeli reaction
Analysts in Israel interpret these remarks as implicitly targeting Israel and the Druze areas, viewing them as an early signal of potential Turkish-Syrian coordination backed by Washington. Israeli outlets Maariv and Yedioth Ahronoth report that officials see the development as “worrying,” fearing it could reshape the balance of power in Syria and indirectly affect Israel’s strategic posture around Gaza.
An Israeli official told Maariv that Israel “will make it unmistakably clear that Turkey has no place in any force operating near Israel’s borders” and is “determined to defend its security interests in Syria.” He added that Israel would continue to press the United States to oppose any Turkish presence, military or diplomatic, along its frontier.
Israeli commentators note that while the proposed cooperation remains at an exploratory stage, it signals a rare alignment of interests between Ankara and Damascus that could complicate Israel’s regional security calculus.
Source: CNA