Turkey Attempting To Deploy Radar Within Syria As Israeli Tensions Escalate

Friday, December 26, 2025

By Jerusalem Post

Reprinted from Harbinger’s Daily

Turkey has been trying to deploy radars on Syrian soil in recent weeks, two Western intelligence sources told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, amid an escalating confrontation between Israel and Turkey over Ankara’s presence in Syria.

Deploying radars in Syrian territory would significantly restrict the Israel Air Force’s freedom of action in Syrian airspace, as was the case in recent strikes, as Turkish radars could detect Israeli aircraft activity over the country.

It would also complicate Israel’s ability to strike targets in Iran, given that Israeli aircraft frequently use Syrian airspace as a transit route to the Islamic Republic.

One of the sources told the Post that Turkey is planning to transfer the radar systems to the Syrian military, presenting the move as a step to bolster President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s forces. However, Turkish personnel would remain responsible for operating the systems, giving Ankara access to and control over the intelligence gathered.

Shortly after the fall of Assad’s regime last year, Israel carried out airstrikes on military installations in Syria, including Syrian Air Force bases such as the T-4, amid growing concern that Turkey would establish permanent military outposts and deploy drones.

A security official said at the time that the possibility of Turkey building an air base in Syria represented a “potential threat.”

“If a Turkish air base is established, it would entail a violation of Israel’s freedom of action in Syria,” the official said. “This is a potential threat that we oppose. We struck the bases to send a message that we will not allow any impairment of our aerial freedom of action.”

This week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın held talks with Assad in Damascus, alongside senior Turkish officials. In Jerusalem, defense officials are closely monitoring the tightening relationship between Ankara and Damascus and assessing the implications for Israel’s operational landscape.

Analysts warn that the radar deployment could enhance Syria’s air defense capabilities, allowing for better detection of Israeli operations.