JAKARTA - Turkish and Israeli officials started talks aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where the two regional powers were active.
Turkish sources said technical talks, in Azerbaijan, marked the start of efforts to create channels to avoid potential clashes or misunderstandings over military operations in the region.
"Efforts will continue to be made to build this mechanism," said one Turkish source, without providing further details on the scope or schedule of talks.
Israeli political sources confirmed the meeting had taken place and said Israel confirmed any changes in the deployment of foreign troops in Syria and in particular the establishment of a Turkish base in the Palmyra region was a red line and would be considered a violation of the rules.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that the Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi had held talks with Turkish officials in Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
The statement did not provide details on the talks.
The initiative comes a week after Israel stepped up airstrikes in Syria, which it describes as a warning to the newly formed government in Damascus. Israel also accused Turkey of trying to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate.
Reuters reported last week that the Turkish military team had examined three air bases in Syria where they could deploy troops as part of a joint defense pact planned with Damascus - before Israel attacked the site by airstrikes.
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Turkey and Israel - which have been attacking each other diplomatically since the Israeli attacks began in Gaza in 2023 - said they were not looking for confrontations in Syria, both of which borders.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed technical talks were ongoing, stressing that the mechanism was needed to prevent misunderstandings between the two regional forces.
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