Azerbaijan Mediates to Ease Tensions Between Israel and Turkey

Following recent heightened tensions between Israel and Turkey, Azerbaijan is actively working behind the scenes to prevent military escalation and revive operational coordination in Syria. Israeli diplomatic sources told ynet that Azerbaijan's quiet diplomatic efforts come after a particularly tense week marked by an attack on a military base in Syrian territory. This current initiative builds on a diplomatic framework established about a year and a half ago by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who previously facilitated direct dialogue between the two countries. At that time, Aliyev hosted meetings in Baku between a Turkish delegation led by Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkish intelligence, and an Israeli delegation headed by then-National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi. Those talks resulted in an agreement to formalize an operational coordination mechanism aimed at preventing clashes in Syria, which functioned successfully for an extended period. Presently, efforts are underway to reactivate this mechanism and restore direct communication channels between Israel and Turkey.