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  • Virtual Briefing Series
  • Mounting Tensions: Turkish-Israeli Rivalry in Syria

    September 15, 2026

    11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

    Israel, Syria, Turkey

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    Turkish-Israeli relations have been in free fall since October 2023, but bilateral tensions over Syria escalated further this year, culminating last month in an Israeli strike on Abu al-Duhur Air Base, reportedly targeting Turkish air defense preparations at this northern Syrian military facility. Are the two reginal rivals risking a direct confrontation?

    This on-the-record virtual briefing featured Gönül Tol, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the author of Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria, as well as Natan Sachs, Senior Fellow at MEI.

    Our experts examined the two countries’ divergent regional goals, Turkey’s role in Syria, Israel’s security concerns, and what their growing tensions mean for the region and US interests.

    Zeina Al-Shaib
    Zeina Al-Shaib
    Staff

    Zeina Al-Shaib

    Senior Director of Communications and Events

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