Reuters: T4 base in central Syria is no longer operational
Reuters, citing four informed sources, revealed that Israel carried out airstrikes this week on three military bases inside Syrian territory, which Türkiye is believed to have planned to use as part of potential defense cooperation arrangements with Damascus.
According to a regional intelligence official, two Syrian military sources, and a fourth informed Syrian source, Turkish military teams have conducted field visits to the T4 air base and the Palmyra base in Homs province, as well as the main airport in Hama province, over the past few weeks to assess their readiness in terms of infrastructure, runways, and hangars.
However, sources who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, confirmed that a visit scheduled for March 25 to the T4 and Palmyra bases was canceled after Israel launched airstrikes on the bases hours before the scheduled time.
The intelligence official, who provided photos documenting the extent of the destruction, stated that the raids targeted runways, a control tower, and aircraft hangars, in addition to destroying some aircraft, in what he described as a clear message that Israel rejects Turkish expansion in Syria.
Reuters also quoted a Syrian source close to Ankara as saying that the T4 base was no longer usable after the latest strike.
Commenting on reports of Turkish movements, a source in the Turkish Ministry of Defense declined to provide details, saying that any information not provided by official sources should be treated with caution as it may lack credibility.
These developments come as Türkiye attempts to reassure Washington that its military actions in Syria are not intended to threaten Israel’s security, despite the intense Israeli bombardment on Wednesday evening, April 2, targeting sites Ankara was considering using.
Following the raids, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted that the strikes were a warning, saying, “We won’t allow any threat to Israel’s security”.
From his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Türkiye of attempting to establish a “zone of influence” within Syria.
For its part, the Turkish media said, that a Turkish military convoys equipped with equipment and logistics had arrived at a Syrian airbase, a move Ankara considered part of its efforts to seize control of the T4 base near the village of Tiyas, east of Palmyra.
The Israeli, The Jerusalem Post, citing an Israeli security source, reported that establishing a Turkish air base on Syrian territory would restrict Israeli air freedom and could pose a strategic threat that Tel Aviv completely rejects.
Speaking from Brussels on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters, “Israeli actions inside Syria threaten long-term regional stability,” adding that any potential understandings between Damascus and Tel Aviv are an internal Syrian affair.
In an official statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry also called on Israel to withdraw from occupied Syrian territories, considering that Tel Aviv’s continued expansionist policy hinders stability efforts in the entire region.
