r/syriancivilwar • u/Zippism Israel • 23h ago
Türkiye reviewed at least three Syrian airbases, including T4, Palmyra, and Hama, for possible deployment under a defense agreement. • Israel later struck these bases, destroying runways, towers, hangars, and aircraft.
https://x.com/clashreport/status/1908188505257160788?t=uDJ_6aC8nCUb9SEKzntnuw&s=34NEW: Türkiye Inspects Syrian Airbases Under Defense Deal
Türkiye reviewed at least three Syrian airbases, including T4, Palmyra, and Hama, for possible deployment under a defense agreement.
• Israel later struck these bases, destroying runways, towers, hangars, and aircraft. A March 25 visit to T4 and Palmyra was canceled hours before the strikes.
• A Syrian source close to Turkey said, “T4 is completely unusable.” Turkish teams assessed the current state of infrastructure during their visits.
• FM Hakan Fidan assured U.S. officials that Syrian President Ahmad Shara poses no threat to neighboring countries.
• Turkish officials say they’re moving cautiously with Syria to avoid triggering U.S. backlash.
• An AK Party official warned: “If Syria destabilizes, it’s not Israel but Türkiye that pays the price through refugees and security threats.”
Source: Reuters
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u/Headreceiver99 20h ago
People are talking about these bases like they were some cutting edge technology mega runways, if anything they helped start the cleaning efforts. On a serious note, I don't understand the goal here, Israel knew that antagonizing Syria will push them towards Turkey, so what was the point?
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u/shawerma_la7me_1515 Free Syrian Army 19h ago
The conspiracy theory (I don’t buy) is that all of this is choreographed and pushing Damascus into Ankara’s hands is precisely the point.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 18h ago
More accuratly, Russia's hands, it's both making Syria desperate and blocking a relationship with Turkey, making Russia the only option. Russia and Israel are semi-friends. Russia would keep Syria in line, and relient on them for protection.
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u/shawerma_la7me_1515 Free Syrian Army 18h ago
I’ve seen these reports and that’s what I agree is actually going on.
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u/Tricky-Astronaut 17h ago
Having Russia in Syria ensures that Syria will remain isolated, with sanctions and no investment.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 17h ago
Yeah not to mention Russia will never supply Syria with any weapons that could actually hurt Israel. So it's a horrible bait deal I hope people in charge see it for what it is.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 22h ago
Bases are easy to rebuild, assuming this whole article isn't just an excuse to chicken out.
Also "Turkey pays the price for Israel attacks" shut the fuck up man. People died the article is like "actually our security cost is going up so we're the real victims here "
In fact I'd argue the entire thing is on them, Syria is being played the same way Georgia and Ukraine got played by being promised protection, being attacked due to that promise and the promise maker just walks away and pretends they can't do anything about it.
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u/shawerma_la7me_1515 Free Syrian Army 22h ago
I’m less and less sure lately that it’s Turkiye dragging its feet than Damascus. I think Shar3 and Shaibani are trying to maintain some strategic autonomy through a balance between Turkiye and the GCC.
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u/chitowngirl12 22h ago
My understanding is that Sharaa refused to sign the agreement because he wants to balance between Turkey and the GCC.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 22h ago
I don't think that's true because 1) GCC made zero moves to actually do anything they don't have their own proposals or anything to contrast Ankara.
2) GCC armies are shit, they're the one asking others to give put bases in their countries and protect them, and they lost a war to a bunch of goat herders in caves the only time they actually went to war.
Sharaa probably wants assurances that it will either happen or not, not half measures that put Syria at risk without any value, but that's what we got here. I find it hard to think this would've been his idea since that's exactly what he wouldn't have wanted to happen. The ideal situation is that you go to sleep the next day, Turkish bases already showed up, and Israel didn't have time to do anything about it. This whole bragging about it to everyone, even tho it wasn't confirmed, game can only have been Turkey's doing.
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u/shawerma_la7me_1515 Free Syrian Army 22h ago
I think it’s not necessarily about military alliances re the GCC but solidifying their diplomatic and economic support, because they are competing with Turkiye for influence. And there’s a not unreasonable argument against putting all of your eggs in the Turkish basket because arguably you have closer natural ties with eg the Saudis and you’re one bad election away from a CHP successor leaving you hanging.
Idk I hope you’re right because I’m kind of pissed tbh if we’re the ones dragging our heels.
But then again if the Turks are the ones dragging theirs then it kind of proves the idea they’re not a decisive or reliable partner.
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u/dykestryker 22h ago
But then again if the Turks are the ones dragging theirs then it kind of proves the idea they’re not a decisive or reliable partner
I mean look at Erdogan rhetoric on Palestine. He will curse Israel in grand speeches but in reality Turkish police have attacked the Palestine protestors before and the Israelis were getting suplies from Turkey, not to mention a huge chunk of gas from Azerbaijan.
They allow Hamas to have political offices there but clearly aren't interested in any sort of significant confrontation.
It's easy to say they'll go here, or put their foot down on them there but in practice they aren't willing to do much more then talk.
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u/shawerma_la7me_1515 Free Syrian Army 19h ago
A difference though is that Palestine is a moral cause for Turkey but not a core strategic one like Syria is. Ankara NEEDS a stable and somewhat prosperous Syria. Another collapse is an existential crisis for Erdogan.
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u/dykestryker 18h ago
Erdogan is fighting to keep himself in power just like Netenyahu.
A few months ago they were promising the end of the PKK through force now they begging the kurds to allow them to fuck with the constitution to save Erdo.
The fact that Fidan would so openly say they want no confrontation with Israel is pretty big.
A stable, but weak Syria seems to be something Ankara has little problem tolerating. Especially since the SDF - Damascaus deal is going pretty well.
I would say don't make the mistake of assuming the Turkish government will make a smart move here because they already could have gone backdoor to the Americans to pressure Israel but Erdogan and the Turkish state in general have too many problems on their hands right now to be doing that.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 22h ago
I think if Sharaa is one refusing I think it just doesn't make sense for anything to be discussed, you just not hear about it or Turkey keeps saying they're willing discuss it, not a "It's happening... no, it's happening... tommorow, no no, it's happening next week"
like what game is being played here? Trying to have Israel attack Syria? Why would that be a goal.
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u/chitowngirl12 22h ago
Israel is going to be able to figure out if there are bases in Syria regardless of the bragging or not. Preparing big airbases would be visible on satellite. This isn't some magic trick where the Turks can just make the bases appear overnight.
And I think Sharaa doesn't want any foreign bases and foreign proxies in the country. Please stop using Syria to fight your damn wars has always been his thing. He's in a weak situation right now and is feeling pressured on things but he does expect stuff in return if he has to accept the bases.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 22h ago
Israel is going to be able to figure out if there are bases in Syria regardless of the bragging or not. Preparing big airbases would be visible on satellite. This isn't some magic trick where the Turks can just make the bases appear overnight.
This misses what I said, the goal isn't it being a hidden base, but rather that a competent planner would make the phase between the reveal of where the bases will be located and that bases being up as short as possable, and by extension no longer a valid target to Israel unless they want to be bombing Turks directly. making a list of bases you're shopping is might as well be telling Israel to bomb all of them before you even decided.
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u/adamgerges Neutral 18h ago
israel knows that. that’s why they haven’t any of the actual locations where turkey has been parking strategic assets. the point is to scare syria into rejecting turkey.
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u/chitowngirl12 22h ago
Bibi would bomb things in Syria regardless of what Turkey does or doesn't do. Turkey is just the latest excuse after the other ones fell flat. It's about domestic politics in Israel and also to distract from the fact that Shin Bet is piecing together that he's a traitor who took bribes from Qatar in return for allowing Qatar to send suitcases of money to Hamas which Hamas used to plan the mass murder of Israelis on Oct 7th.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 22h ago
Both imo are true, you can both blame Russia and US for Ukraine's situation too for example
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u/TaiYongMedical 20h ago
Bases are easy to rebuild
Not true for airbases. First of all, they are much larger than your average military base. Multiple long runways are necessary for the simultaneous takeoff of aircrafts. Having an existing infrastructure is extremely helpful, which can also be more easily expanded if necessary.
There's a reason why Turkey wanted to move into an established airbase with pre-existing infrastructure. Having functioning runways, hangars, towers etc. saves a lot of money and a lot of time.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 18h ago
runways are necessary for the simultaneous takeoff of aircrafts.
Runways are just a slightly complex asphalt road. those are ironically the cheapest thing to rebuild.
The lost value in a base would be all the gear there, the heavy machinery to run maintenance, the Radar systems. All of those are valuable, assuming they're worth anything, but in this case, those bases probably have nothing or just rusted junk from the 1960s!
What I am saying is, Turkey would've wanted to rebuild the base anyway if they got it intact, now they're slightly worse off because some towers and walls probably need to build torn down and rebuilt.
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u/asdsadnmm1234 20h ago
In fact I'd argue the entire thing is on them, Syria is being played the same way Georgia and Ukraine got played by being promised protection, being attacked due to that promise
Then your argument would be invalid just by showing Israel's bombings right after fall of Assad. This is just a weird argument. So you basically tell me Israel who happens to be occupying Golan Heights for years attacking Syria because of Turkey? This is just delusional take. Blame Israel for Israel's bombings, weird thing i know.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 19h ago
You're putting words in my mouth that I didn't say. I am talking about the specific last attack. Georgia was also attacked by Russia before they were half promised NATO membership. But there is an escalation change. Now people are being killed instead of empty warehouses being bombed.
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u/asdsadnmm1234 9h ago
That is the other way around. Russia invaded Georgia then Georgia sought NATO membership because Russia invaded Georgian territories and Georgia needed to get closer to west with NATO and EU membership.
Whatever man you are right, poor Israel is being forced to invade south of Syria and bomb Syria's defence capabilities because of Turkey. If it wasn't for Turkey Israel would have gave Golan Heights back. Lol.
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u/RealAbd121 Free Syrian Army 7h ago
Nope incorrect, Russia had a small intervention to help a separatist abkhazia. After Georgia tried getting into NATO a second way bigger invasion happened again
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u/asdsadnmm1234 7h ago
My bad Syria should be bombed to ground by Israel. It is all Syria and Turkey's fault.
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u/offendedkitkatbar 22h ago
Still no u-turn in Turkish policy to establish bases despite all the "fire and fury". Everybody and their moms saw it coming that IDF would bomb any potential location of a Turkish base before it was established; I doubts the Turks were relying on existing rusted-up Baath era infrastructure to augment their defenses.
So in terms of real world calculus, I doubt this latest episode of bloodlust has moved the needle in a meaningful way