This comes amid the growing cooperation between Ahmed al-Sharaa’s regime in Syria and the government of Turkish President Erdogan.
The T4 base has been the target of several Israeli airstrikes in Syria in recent weeks. On monday, an Israeli defence official told reporters that the purpose of these strikes was to signal to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa that Israel will not allow any reduction in its freedom of action in Syrian airspace.
According to the Western intelligence source, Turkey intends to convert the T4 base into a drone facility.
On Tuesday, Middle East Eye website reported that a Hisar air defense system will be deployed at the T4 base to provide air coverage for the facility. A source familiar with the details, who spoke with the site, said, “Once the system is in place, the base will be renovated and expanded with the necessary facilities.” The source added that the base will help Turkey establish air dominance in the region and support its efforts to fight ISIS, which is still active in Syria.
On Monday, during a briefing with reporters, a security official expressed concern about the possibility of the Syrian government allowing Turkey to establish military bases within its territory. “If a Turkish air base is established, it would harm Israel’s freedom of action in Syria,” the official said. “This is a potential threat that we oppose.”
Israel’s concern that the Syrian government might allow Turkey to establish military bases within the country comes amid the growing cooperation between Sharaa’s regime in Syria and the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In recent weeks, Israel’s political-security leadership has held several discussions regarding concerns of deeper Turkish involvement within Syria itself, including the possibility that the Erdogan government would establish military bases there. In the years before the fall of Assad’s regime, Turkey and Erdogan supported and assisted the rebels led by Sharaa.
Since October 7, Erdogan has extensively criticized Israel, including its decision to seize buffer zones within Syria. Over the weekend, Erdogan stated, “May Allah bring destruction and ruin upon Zionist Israel.”
Israel’s operational freedom in Syria
“We targeted the military T4 base recently to send a message that we will not allow harm to our air freedom of operation,” said the security source.
The base, located deep within Syria, was attacked at the end of March. During the strike, weapons and strategic capabilities at the military air bases were destroyed.
Regarding the Syrian leader himself and whether he is someone with whom dialogue could be established, the security source clarified: “He is a classic Islamist. He has both short-term and long-term goals. His long-term goals have not changed; he is our enemy. He is working to lift sanctions on Syria, and Erdogan is also mediating in this regard. Without the removal of sanctions, he will meet the same fate as Assad.”