PM Netanyahu Details How Israeli Air Ops Helped the ‘Turkish Takeover’ of Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has elaborated on the role of the Israeli Air Force in supporting Turkish-led operations to overthrow the Syrian government, which was toppled by Islamist insurgents backed by Turkey, Israeli and other Western-aligned actors on December 8. After insurgents made rapid advances into government-held territory from their bases on the Syrian-Turkish border, Damascus’ strategic partner Iran pledged to send ground forces to bolster its defences. The absence of Iranian forces on the ground subsequently sparked considerable speculation as to what prevented their arrival, with their presence having been expected to turn the tide of the conflict. Speaking at a conference hosted by the Jewish News Syndicate in Jerusalem, Netanyahu recalled: “They had to rescue Assad,” Netanyahu said, claiming that Iran wanted to send “one or two airborne divisions” to help the Syrian leader. “We stopped that. We sent some F-16s to some Iranian planes that were making some routes to Damascus,” he said. “They turned back,”he added.

As Turkish-backed insurgents advanced into Syria, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on December 6 pledged to send forces to bolster Damascus. “The Takfiri terrorist groups have hatched a long-term plot to cause insecurity and violence in the region,” he stated after meeting his Iraqi and Syrian colleagues in Baghdad. “Our goal is to strengthen consultations and coordination in order to support the Syrian government and people,” he added. “It is likely that Tehran will need to send military equipment, missiles and drones to Syria,” an anonymous Iranian official stated at the time, adding that Iran had “taken all necessary steps to increase the number of its military advisers in Syria and deploy troops.” Iraq, which had also previously sent paramilitary fighters to contain advances by Turkish-backed jihadists in Syria, had also pledged support. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani observed that insurgent advances had a “clear impact” on Iraqi security and needed to be contained, while President Latif Rashid stressed: “It is imperative that we stand united to protect Syria’s unity, sovereignty and the safety of its people.”

After the fall of Damascus to Islamist paramilitaries, U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump stated that Ankara had conducted an “unfriendly takeover” of the country, and that control of Syria was something that Turkey had sought to achieve “for thousands of years.” “Those people that went in are controlled by Turkey,” he stated, adding that“that’s okay, that’s another way to fight.” “Turkey’s the one behind it. He’s a very smart guy, they’ve wanted it for thousands of years, and he got it,” he concluded. Since the outbreak of the insurgency in Syria in 2011, multiple sources have reported that Islamist paramilitaries fighting against the Syrian state have had Turkish special forces embedded in their ranks, with Turkish officers playing a key role in commanding these forces. Israel was the only state that eclipsed Turkey in the air support it provided to the insurgency, however, with the two states assessed by multiple sources to have closely coordinated their operations to maximise pressure on their Arab neighbour. After taking power in Syria, Islamist militants have concentrated attacks on Isreal and Turkey’s common adversary, the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah, across the Syrian-Lebanese border. The empowering of Islamist jihadist groups with close ties to Islamic State and Al Qaeda has caused serious concern in Lebanon, Iran and Iraq, with Turkish influence over these militias expected to allow their future terror attacks and military campaigns to be directed against common adversaries of Ankara, Tel Aviv and their strategic partners in the Western world.