[Quneitra] Unconfirmed reports that three Turkish nationals—described by some sources as “engineers”—were killed in Israel’s April 2 airstrike on Syria’s T-4 airbase have intensified Ankara’s already strident response to Israeli military actions.
While no official source has verified the deaths, the development may help explain the surge in hostile rhetoric, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent statement: “May Allah destroy Zionist Israel in His holy name.”
The Turkish Defense Ministry has denied finalizing any agreement for permanent military bases in Syria and urged the public to disregard unverified claims.
Still, analysts say Turkey is expanding its presence on the ground, reportedly upgrading facilities at the T-4 and Menagh airbases to support troop deployments and install advanced air defense systems. Israeli officials have warned that allowing hostile forces to operate from Syrian territory would come at a “very heavy price.” Some have described Turkey’s activity as an attempt to establish a “Turkish protectorate” in parts of Syria—language that reflects growing concern over Ankara’s long-term ambitions.
Tensions escalated after Israeli forces carried out a ground operation near Nawa, in Syria’s southern Daraa province, killing at least nine people and sparking protests across the region.
Residents described the raid as Israel’s most aggressive ground action since its forces crossed the 1974 disengagement lines following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024.
“This isn’t just another military operation—it’s part of a systematic expansion,” said Amin Al-Sayed, a civil leader from Quneitra.
“Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israeli occupation forces have pushed deeper into buffer zones, declaring the disengagement agreement void, establishing outposts, and striking Syrian military infrastructure across the board.”
On the night before the April 3 ground incursion, Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple military targets in Syria, including the T-4 and Palmyra airbases in Homs province and the main airport in Hama province.
The strikes caused significant damage to Syrian infrastructure. Though casualty numbers remain disputed, multiple fatalities were reported.
According to The Times of London, Israeli officials described the attacks as a “strategic warning” to discourage Syria’s new leadership from enabling hostile actors near Israel’s northern border.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were tied to intelligence assessments indicating increased Turkish activity at the targeted sites, including reconnaissance conducted by Turkish military personnel ahead of possible deployments.
The timing suggests Israel aimed to prevent further Turkish entrenchment.
These actions break people’s will, erasing their means of survival. Israel isn’t just targeting military infrastructure—it’s destroying livelihoods.
“In Quneitra and Daraa, our land has been bulldozed, livestock killed, and trees uprooted,” Al-Sayed told The Media Line. “These actions break people’s will, erasing their means of survival. Israel isn’t just targeting military infrastructure—it’s destroying livelihoods.”
Thousands protested in Suwayda, the Damascus countryside, Masyaf, and Tartus.
In Salam City—renamed from Al-Baath City after Assad’s ouster—Israeli rockets reportedly struck government facilities for the first time.
“This was a message as much to civilians as to governments,” said Al-Sayed.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s transitional government has taken a cautious stance. Initially conciliatory toward Israel, al-Sharaa has recently called for international pressure to end Israel’s military presence in Syria.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
His administration approved a “reassurance pact” with Turkey, allowing Turkish military bases to operate in central Syria.
According to a recent International Crisis Group report by Dareen Khalifa and Mairav Zonszein, Israel’s current strategy may backfire.
They argue that continued airstrikes, territorial expansion, and pressure on Syrian minorities could push the interim government closer to Ankara.
Khalifa and Zonszein warn that maintaining sweeping US sanctions may deny Syria’s transitional government the legitimacy it needs to resist both Iranian and jihadist influence.
“These Turkish bases differ significantly from Russian installations under Assad,” Al-Sayed said. “They’re welcomed by locals. They bring deterrence rather than occupation.”
Still, Israeli officials remain skeptical.
Their goal is clear: to eliminate infrastructure—especially that linked to Turkey—which could be used against them
“Israel is acting with a sense of strategic urgency,” said Aziz Moussa, a Damascus-based analyst. “Their goal is clear: to eliminate infrastructure—especially that linked to Turkey—which could be used against them.”
Murat Yeşiltaş, a professor at the Social Sciences University of Ankara, wrote in Daily Sabah that Israel’s approach appears designed to permanently destabilize Syria and prevent the rise of a Turkey-aligned Syrian state.
Former Syrian army officer Sumer Ahmed said that Turkey moved quickly to build military bases in response to Israeli expansion.
They’re definitely focused on protecting Turkey’s national security, but there’s also a political dimension. Turkey wants to support Syria’s new transitional government and turn its military into a reliable partner or proxy to safeguard Turkish interests.
“They’re definitely focused on protecting Turkey’s national security,” he told The Media Line, “but there’s also a political dimension. Turkey wants to support Syria’s new transitional government and turn its military into a reliable partner or proxy to safeguard Turkish interests.”
“Deploying an advanced air-defense system like the Turkish S-500 in central Syria is a big deal,” he added. “It puts nearly all Israeli aircraft and drones within detection range.”
While Turkey says it does not seek direct conflict, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters that Ankara prefers diplomacy over escalation and remains committed to stability in Syria.
Yet Turkey’s military footprint—especially at bases like T-4 and Palmyra—is expanding, further stoking Israeli concerns.
Israel’s April 2–3 strikes on Turkish-backed targets have triggered regional backlash.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and several European governments condemned the attacks.
In Washington, calls are growing for the Trump administration to reassess its regional strategy. Some policy experts are urging greater engagement with Syria’s interim government to prevent a power vacuum that could be exploited by jihadists or Iranian proxies.
Khalifa and Zonszein argue that this moment—when Damascus is relatively free of Iranian domination—offers a rare window for positive regional realignment.
Their argument is gaining traction in Washington.
A recent Atlantic Council piece warned that Israel’s operations in southern Syria could spark sectarian tensions, especially in Druze areas.
Khalifa and Zonszein advocate recalibrating Israeli policy in coordination with US and European partners.
They point out that the US holds substantial leverage—via sanctions, reconstruction aid, diplomatic recognition, and influence over global financial institutions.
Tying these tools to benchmarks like minority protections, arms control, and non-aggression commitments could promote responsible governance in Syria.
The report also notes that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), once an al-Qaeda affiliate, has undergone notable transformation. Since severing ties in 2016, HTS has rebranded as a Syrian nationalist-Islamist group, reopening churches and returning seized properties to minorities in Idlib.
Khalifa and Zonszein argue that understanding this shift is essential to building a practical engagement strategy.
Still, Israeli officials remain unconvinced. They cite HTS’s ideological origins and violent past, and they doubt al-Sharaa’s ability to control extremist factions.
The International Crisis Group warns that Israel’s current focus on containment, without a diplomatic track, may leave it sidelined from Syria’s political future.
US policy remains divided.
Some officials advocate conditional sanctions relief tied to counterterrorism and minority rights cooperation. Others believe maximum pressure is the only way to deter Iran and jihadist resurgence.
This ambiguity leaves Israel navigating a shifting landscape with little international backing.
European states are also reconsidering their approach. French and German diplomats have proposed phased normalization tied to humanitarian benchmarks and elections. EU officials have reportedly met with Syrian civil society leaders in Geneva.
No formal diplomatic process is underway, but Khalifa and Zonszein argue Israel could influence the debate—if it shifts from a military-first strategy to one rooted in diplomacy.
Back in Quneitra, the geopolitical maneuvering feels distant.
“Each airstrike displaces more families,” Al-Sayed said. “Every incursion means new funerals. Syria needs a solution that gives the country back to its people—not to occupiers, not to militias, and not to political chess games.”
Jacob Wirtschafter reported from Istanbul.