Israel strikes Syrian airbase. Is Turkey next?

An Israeli airstrike on a Syrian military airfield has underscored a new reality: Syria is now a central stage for a growing rivalry between two regional powers, Israel and Turkey. The attack, which took place in recent days, is the latest in a series of Israeli operations inside Syrian territory. While Israel has long targeted Iranian-linked positions there, the strike signals a broader shift in focus. Syria, fractured by over a decade of civil war, has become a vacuum where external actors project power. Turkey, which backs certain opposition groups and controls a strip of territory in the north, has its own strategic interests. Israel, meanwhile, has repeatedly acted to prevent hostile forces from entrenching near its borders. The two nations do not share a direct border, but their interests increasingly collide on Syrian soil. Neither side has declared open conflict, but each is maneuvering for influence in a country that remains a geopolitical fault line. For now, the airfield strike is a warning. The question is whether Syria will remain a proxy arena—or become the trigger for a direct Israeli-Turkish confrontation.