Why Turkiye should not go to war with Israel – it is already winning without one
Israel’s 18 August strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase, followed by direct Israeli-Turkish warnings, has revived a dangerous question: are Turkiye and Israel approaching war in Syria?
Ankara should avoid the arena where Israeli power is strongest.
Turkiye is gaining ground without attacking Israel: consolidating a friendly Damascus government, extending influence through Lebanon and the Red Sea, deepening defence ties with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and improving Washington relations.
War endangers those gains. “Winning” does not mean defeating or encircling Israel.
Turkiye is accumulating positional advantage at acceptable cost, while Israel struggles to convert military superiority into a favourable regional order.
Preserving that asymmetry is the strategic objective.
Syria: where the two […]