Turkiye, Israel begin talks to avoid clashes in Syria

Turkish and Israeli officials began talks on Wednesday aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active, Reuters reported citing Turkish government sources.

The sources told Reuters the technical talks, in Azerbaijan, marked the beginning of efforts to set up a channel to avoid potential clashes or misunderstandings over military operations in the region.

"Efforts will continue to establish this mechanism," one of the sources said, without providing further details on the scope or timeline of the talks, according to Reuters.

The initiative comes a week after Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, which it described as a warning to the newly formed government in Damascus. It has also accused Turkiye of attempting to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate.

Reuters reported last week that Turkish military teams had inspected at least three air bases in Syria where they could deploy forces as part of a planned joint defence pact with Damascus - before Israel hit the sites with airstrikes.