Azerbaijan Mediates to Ease Israel-Turkey Tensions Amid Regional Strife

Azerbaijan is actively working behind the scenes to reduce rising tensions between Israel and Turkey following a week marked by significant conflict, including an Israeli strike on a Syrian base and escalating diplomatic confrontations. Israeli sources confirm that Baku is seeking to revive direct dialogue and operational coordination mechanisms between Israel and Turkey, which were initially established in April 2025 under the auspices of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. This earlier framework had facilitated cooperation in Syria and is now seen as a model to prevent miscalculations that could escalate into broader conflict.

In parallel, Axios reported that after the Syrian base attack, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani met with Mossad chief Ronen Gafni, although official offices declined to comment. Azerbaijan, which views both Israel and Turkey as allies, expressed concern over the deteriorating relations, emphasizing the need to immediately de-escalate tensions. An Azerbaijani source was quoted saying, "You and Turkey are our friends; what will happen if you start fighting?"

The United States is also attempting to mediate, but Israeli officials express distrust toward U.S. envoy Tom Bark, whose recent statements prompted a rare public rebuttal from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. In contrast, Azerbaijan enjoys the trust of both Israel and Turkey, having previously facilitated dialogue and currently providing humanitarian aid to Syria. Baku sees Syria as a potential energy partner and has a vested interest in preventing conflict between its allies.

The efforts by Azerbaijan to restore communication channels and coordination between Israel and Turkey aim to stabilize the region and avoid further escalation, with the next steps likely involving renewed diplomatic engagement and operational talks.