Exclusive-Israel hit Syrian bases scoped by Turkey, hinting at regional showdown, sources say

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Jonathan Spicer

AMMAN/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey scoped retired astatine slightest 3 aerial bases successful Syria wherever it could deploy forces arsenic portion of a planned associated defence pact earlier Israel deed the sites with aerial strikes this week, 4 radical acquainted with the substance said.

The bombardment signals the risks of a deepening rift betwixt 2 almighty determination militaries implicit Syria, wherever Islamist rebels person installed a caller authorities aft toppling erstwhile person Bashar al-Assad successful December.

The Israeli strikes connected the 3 sites Turkey was assessing, including a dense barrage connected Wednesday night, came contempt Ankara's efforts to reassure Washington that a deeper subject beingness successful Syria was not intended to endanger Israel.

The Islamists replacing Assad person alarmed Israel, which is wary of an Islamist beingness connected its borderline and has lobbied the United States to curb Turkey's increasing power successful the country.

Ankara, a longtime backer of absorption to Assad, is positioning to play a large relation successful the remade Syria, including with a imaginable associated defence pact that could spot caller Turkish bases successful cardinal Syria and usage of Syria's airspace.

In preparation, Turkish subject teams successful caller weeks visited the T4 and Palmyra aerial bases successful Syria's Homs state and the main airdrome successful Hama province, according to a determination quality official, 2 Syrian subject sources and different Syrian root acquainted with the matter.

The sources spoke connected information of anonymity to sermon the visits, which person not been antecedently reported.

Turkish teams evaluated the authorities of the runways, hangars and different infrastructure astatine the bases, the determination quality authoritative said.

Another planned sojourn to T4 and Palmyra connected March 25 was cancelled aft Israel struck some bases conscionable hours beforehand, according to the determination quality authoritative and the 2 Syrian subject sources.

Strikes astatine T4 "destroyed the runway, tower, hangars and the planes that were grounded. It was a pugnacious connection that Israel won't judge the expanded Turkish presence," said the quality official, who reviewed photographs of the damage.

"T4 is wholly unusable now," said a 4th Syrian source, who is adjacent to Turkey.

When asked astir the visits, a Turkish defence ministry authoritative said: "Reports and posts regarding developments successful Syria - whether existent oregon alleged - that bash not originate from authoritative authorities should not beryllium taken into consideration, arsenic they deficiency credibility and whitethorn beryllium misleading."

A spokesperson for Syria's defence ministry declined to comment.

Turkey's overseas ministry connected Thursday called Israel "the top menace to determination security". On Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters Turkey wanted nary confrontation with Israel successful Syria.

HEAVY STRIKES

In the 4 months since Assad was toppled, Israel has seized crushed successful southwest Syria, made overtures to the Druze minority, and struck overmuch of the Syrian military's dense weapons and equipment. Wednesday's strikes were immoderate of the astir aggravated yet.

Syria's overseas ministry said Israel struck 5 abstracted areas wrong a 30-minute window, resulting successful the near-total demolition of the Hama basal and wounding dozens of civilians and soldiers.

Israel said it deed the T4 aerial basal and different subject capabilities astatine aerial bases successful Hama and Homs provinces, arsenic good arsenic subject infrastructure successful the Damascus area.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz called the aerial strikes a informing that "we volition not let the information of the State of Israel to beryllium harmed". Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Ankara of seeking a "Turkish protectorate" successful Syria.

Noa Lazimi, a specializer successful Middle East authorities astatine Bar-Ilan University, said Israel was acrophobic that Turkey could found Russian anti-aircraft systems and drones astatine T4.

"The basal would alteration Turkey to found aerial superiority successful this area, and this poses a superior interest for Israel due to the fact that it undermines its operational state successful the region," she said.

'IDEOLOGICAL COLLISION COURSE'

Turkey has tried to reassure the U.S. that it wants to enactment towards a unchangeable Syria.

Foreign Minister Fidan told U.S. officials successful Washington past period that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would not airs a menace to neighbours, according to a elder determination diplomat adjacent to Turkey and a root successful Washington briefed connected the meetings.

Fidan and different Turkish officials had earlier told Sharaa that Ankara was cautiously calibrating its moves towards a defence pact truthful arsenic not to irk Washington, 1 of the Syrian subject sources said.

"Turkey, not Israel, would wage the highest terms among determination states were determination to beryllium nonaccomplishment oregon destabilization successful Syria, including with refugees and security," an authoritative successful Turkey's ruling AK Party told Reuters.

Soner Cagaptay, manager of the Turkish Research Program astatine the Washington Institute deliberation tank, said Turkey and Israel were connected an "ideological collision course" but could debar subject escalation done mediation with Washington.

(Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi successful Amman; Jonathan Spicer successful Istanbul; further reporting by Maya Gebeily successful Beirut, Emily Rose successful Jerusalem, and Huseyin Hayatsever successful Ankara; Writing by Maya Gebeily, Editing by Aidan Lewis)