Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Syrian military airfields this week, in what officials confirmed to Fox News Digital was “intended to send a clear message to Turkey not to interfere with Israeli aerial operations in Syrian airspace.” 

The escalation marks a turning point in Jerusalem’s stance toward Ankara, as Turkey attempts to expand its military presence in Syria amid regional instability.

The Israeli Defense Forces struck strategic assets at both the Hama military airport and the T-4 airbase, including runways, fuel storage sites, radar systems and weapons caches. The strikes follow weeks of intelligence gathering by the Israeli air force, which tracked military assets in the targeted bases. 

The airbases, which had been under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, are now reportedly being eyed by Turkey for expanded use and the deployment of air defense systems.

Alan Makovsky, JINSA Eastern Mediterranean Policy Project member said, “We can never assume statements like this are just rhetoric,” adding, “Erdogan has alluded in the past to being able to ‘come suddenly one night’ — we have to take that seriously.”

Inside Israel, officials are closely watching Turkey’s moves in Syria. Avner Golov, vice president of Mind Israel, emphasized that the current crisis reflects a deeper ideological threat.

“Iran is clearly the head of the radical camp, but Erdogan is trying to position himself as the second head — and he’s no less dangerous in terms of potential,” he said. “He doesn’t use proxies the same way Iran does. He intervenes directly, including inside Israel through Palestinian citizens and political activism.”

An Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft during an air show in Tel Aviv on April 26, 2023. (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

“Israel has diplomatic ties with Turkey, but Erdogan keeps blocking meaningful security cooperation in NATO” Golov added. “Now that Turkey is moving south into Syria, we [Israel] need to escalate the rules of engagement. We can’t allow Turkey to create a long-range air defense umbrella on our border.”

Golov said the current administration needs to understand that Erdogan’s ambitions go beyond Syria. “He wants to become a patron state, to control the skies, and to prevent Israeli operations by claiming we’re violating Syrian sovereignty. But it’s not about sovereignty — it’s about power and shaping the new Middle East in Muslim Brotherhood colors.”

On the recent protests against the jailing of the mayor of Istanbul, Ciddi said, “We’ve seen a great challenge to Erdogan with these rising public protests — probably the biggest since the 2013 Gezi protests … jailing an opposition candidate before they even run is a clear sign of weakness. Erdogan doesn’t care about international criticism or economic fallout — all he cares about is maintaining his regime. That’s not strength, it’s desperation.”