Turkey recently deployed an advanced radar system at Damascus International Airport in a move that could limit Israel’s freedom of action in Syrian airspace.
The HTRS-100 air traffic control radar system, produced by the Turkish defense company ASELSAN, was described by Turkey’s Ambassador to Syria Nuh Yilmaz as a deployment that “represents a significant infrastructure upgrade for the main aviation hub of Syria’s capital.”
The system provides “precise detection and tracking of all aerial targets surrounding airports, integrating the most advanced technologies to ensure maximum reliability and performance,” a Turkish expert said.
The radar operates at ranges of approximately 150-200 km., and is described as a tool that “delivers accurate detection and tracking of all airborne targets in the vicinity of the airport.”
The Jerusalem Post reported in December that Turkey was working to deploy radar systems across Syrian territory, in a move that, according to Western intelligence sources, could significantly reduce Israel’s aerial freedom of action over the country.
Over the past year, Israel has operated freely in Syria and has also used Syrian airspace to reach targets in other countries, such as Iran.
Senior security official: 'Turkish air base would undermine Israel's freedom of action in Syria'
About a year ago, shortly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel carried out a series of strikes against military bases in Syria, including Syrian Air Force installations. These strikes were conducted amid concerns that Turkey might establish permanent bases on Syrian soil and deploy drones there.
At the same time, a senior security official told reporters that the possibility of Turkey establishing a military base in Syria constituted a “potential threat.”
“If a Turkish airbase is established, it would undermine 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 clear message that we will not allow our aerial freedom of action to be compromised.”
Recently, tensions between Israel and Turkey have escalated further. Yeni Safak, a Turkish outlet with a pro-President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spin, published a headline declaring “Israel is Turkey’s number one enemy” a day after a trilateral meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders of Greece and Cyprus.
During that meeting, Netanyahu stated, “To those who fantasize about restoring their empires, it’s not going to happen,” in an apparent reference to Erdogan.