Turkey has been trying to deploy radars on Syrian soil in recent weeks, two Western intelligence sources told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, amid an escalating confrontation between Israel and Turkey over Ankara's presence in Syria. Deploying radars in Syrian territory would significantly restrict the Israel Air Force's freedom of action in Syrian airspace, as was the case in recent strikes, as Turkish radars could detect Israeli aircraft activity over the country.
It would also complicate Israel's ability to strike targets in Iran, given that Israeli aircraft frequently use Syrian airspace as a transit route to the Islamic Republic. One of the sources told the Post that Turkey is planning to transfer the radar systems to the Syrian military, presenting the move as a step to bolster President Ahmed al-Sharaa's forces. However, Turkish personnel would remain responsible for operating the systems, giving Ankara access to and control over the intelligence gathered.
Shortly after the fall of Assad's regime last year, Israel carried out airstrikes on military installations in Syria, including Syrian Air Force bases such as the T-4, amid growing concern that Turkey would establish permanent military outposts and deploy drones. Shortly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime last year, Israel struck military bases in Syria, including Syrian Air Force bases such as the T-4, out of concern that Turkey would establish permanent bases there and station drones. (Read More)
