Turkey and Syria’s new government have reached an understanding to establish Turkish military bases inside Syrian territory, including at two key strategic airports, Qatari newspaper The New Arab reported Friday, citing Turkish sources.
The agreement includes bases at the T4 airbase near Palmyra and the Menagh airfield, where Turkish forces are already present. Construction is reportedly underway at T4.
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Extensive damage at Hamas airbase following Israeli strikes
(Photo: AP Photo/Omar Albam)
The T4 airbase has long been a strategic site, located near Syria’s gas fields. It was previously used by Iran-backed militias and fell under ISIS control before being retaken by the Assad regime with Russian military support. Turkish interest in the base reportedly grew after Assad's fall.
Meanwhile, tensions in Syria continue to escalate. Syrian media reported explosions near Damascus Thursday night and sightings of Israeli warplanes in the area. According to local reports, Israeli strikes targeted military positions in al-Kiswah, south of the capital. Two days earlier, a military airfield in Hama was bombed, with satellite images later revealing heavy damage, including to the runway.
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Amid rising instability, some figures in southern Syria are calling for armed resistance against Israel. Imad al-Masalmeh, a prominent leader in Daraa, said that while “the Syrian people are exhausted after 14 years of war,” there remains “a readiness to resist Israeli forces.” He added that former anti-Assad fighters are now prepared to turn their weapons against Israel and called for urgent Arab and Islamic summits to “curb Israeli aggression in Syria.”
In response to the escalating tensions, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning Thursday to Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani.
Speaking at a pre-Passover ceremony at the Defense Ministry, Katz said: “I warn Syria’s ruler, al-Golani—if you allow hostile forces to enter Syria and threaten Israeli security interests, you will pay a heavy price.”
His remarks came following Israeli airstrikes on T4, Hama and areas near Damascus, as well as after clashes between Israeli forces and locals in the al-Jubayliya area of Daraa province, where Syrian sources reported 10 deaths.
Katz reiterated that “Israel will not allow Syria to become a threat to its communities” and will continue operating in buffer and security zones—including Mount Hermon—to defend Israeli towns in the Golan Heights and Galilee.