Tel Aviv: Israel will not hesitate to hit Damascus International Airport again if it is used to transport Iranian made weapons to the Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the fact that the airport is controlled now by Turkey that has increased its presence in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime.
According to a report in the website of the Alma Research Centre in Israel, as part of its support for Syria’s infrastructure rehabilitation efforts, Turkey dispatched a team of experts on February 7 to assist in the restoration and upgrade of Damascus International Airport. “The airport has sustained significant damage over the past 15 years due to the civil war, international sanctions, and numerous Israeli airstrikes,” the report mentions.
According to the report, the team sent by the Turkish Airports Authority, comprises 25 engineers and specialists who began their work several days ago. In a special statement, Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure announced that the Turkish technical team is working to replace the airport’s navigation and communication systems, upgrade security and safety measures, and train ground and security personnel in operating the new systems. As part of this effort, Turkey has provided 10 X-ray machines, 4 explosive detectors, 10 metal detectors, as well as firefighting and rescue equipment, including two fire trucks.
The Alma Centre report says that the rehabilitation of Damascus International Airport marks one of Turkey’s first concrete steps toward establishing itself as the leading power in Syria. “Turkey has a clear interest in becoming a key player in Syria’s long-term reconstruction, a process expected to take years. This involvement is likely to yield substantial economic benefits that could bolster Turkey’s struggling economy. More significantly, however, it is expected to translate into political and military influence, advancing President Erdoğan’s broader ambitions.”
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
