Syrian and Israeli officials have held high-level talks in Jordan, with Damascus seeking to contain the fallout from a recent Israeli attack on Syrian territory.
The discussions, held under US auspices, also addressed the risk that tensions between Israel and Turkey could spill over into Syria.
High-level talks in Jordan
Sources who spoke to AFP said Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met Roman Gofman, the head of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, in Jordan on Sunday.
Among the issues discussed was the creation of a “special operations room” in Jordan under US supervision. According to the sources, the mechanism would aim to prevent any conflict in Syria, including one involving Turkey. The sources requested anonymity.
SANA, Syria’s official news agency, confirmed that talks had been held in Jordan under US auspices, citing a source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
According to the source, their purpose was to achieve “de-escalation following the recent Israeli bombardment of Syrian territory”.
SANA said a team led by the Syrian foreign minister held talks with a “high-level Israeli delegation”. The discussions were also intended to help ensure that existing tensions between Israel and Turkey did not affect Syrian territory.
A diplomatic source said these were the first negotiations between Syria and Israel in months.
Israeli strike on Syrian airbase
The diplomatic contact followed an Israeli strike on an airbase in northern Syria, which was strongly condemned by Damascus.
Damascus said it wanted to de-escalate the crisis caused by the attack and avoid being drawn into tensions between Israel and Turkey.
Following the strike, Israel said it wanted to prevent Turkish troops from being deployed at the base. Ankara denied having any military presence there.
Strained Israel-Turkey relations
Turkey was the first predominantly Muslim country to recognise Israel, but relations have become strained under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Erdoğan on Friday as an “antisemitic dictator”.
A spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister’s office told AFP that it had no comment on the talks.
Source: AMNA
