U.S. Betrays Israel: Erdoğan Gets Free Pass to Control Syria
The U.S. has signaled it will not oppose a potential defense pact between Turkey and Syria, raising concerns in Israel about losing strategic leverage in the region. This development could empower Turkey to expand its military presence in Syria, potentially threatening Israel’s security operations.
U.S. Special Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, issued a statement Yesterday that has raised alarm in Israel, signaling a potential shift in regional dynamics. Speaking at a press conference, Barrack declared, “It’s not in the U.S.’s business or interest to tell any of the surrounding nations with each other what to do,” in response to reports of Turkey and Syria negotiating a defense pact. This follows a Washington Post report indicating U.S. neutrality on such cooperation, interpreted in Jerusalem as tacit approval for Turkey to act freely in Syria. The remarks come amid Turkey’s push, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to deepen ties with Syria’s interim government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda affiliate whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led the December 2024 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Israel fears that a Turkey-Syria alliance could severely restrict its military operations, particularly airstrikes targeting Iranian proxies, which have been a cornerstone of its strategy in Syria since 2011. Turkey’s potential deployment of air defense systems or bases near the Golan Heights could limit Israel’s air superiority, a concern amplified by Erdoğan’s anti-Israel rhetoric, including his April 2025 Ramadan address wishing for Israel’s destruction. “If Syria and Turkey decide to cooperate, it’s not our business,” Barrack reiterated, a stance Israel views as abandoning its security interests.
Posts on X reflect Israeli unease, with one user stating, “Erdoğan’s grip on Syria grows while the U.S. looks away, Golan’s next.” Turkey’s influence, bolstered by its role in Syria’s reconstruction and control over northern territories since 2016, has already sidelined Israel’s hopes for Syria’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords. U.S. plans for a phased withdrawal of its 1,300 troops from Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria, announced in April 2025, further embolden Erdoğan, who views the Kurdish-led SDF as a terrorist entity linked to the PKK.