SAEDNEWS: Israel Hayom reports that Israeli military circles are examining whether NATO’s Article 5 would be triggered if Israeli forces attacked Turkish positions, arguing that Turkish troops stationed outside Turkey may not automatically receive the treaty’s full protection.
According to SaedNews: Israel Hayom has reported that Israeli military circles are discussing how NATO’s Article 5 could be activated if Turkish positions came under attack. The analysis argues that an Israeli strike against Turkish forces stationed outside Turkey would not necessarily result in NATO intervention.
According to the newspaper, Article 5 protects Turkish territory but does not automatically extend the same protection to Turkish forces deployed in Syria or northern Cyprus.
The analysis was published two days after an Israeli airstrike targeted parts of an abandoned airbase in northern Syria near the Turkish border, at Abu al-Duhur. Tel Aviv reportedly believed Turkish forces intended to deploy there.
Israel Hayom wrote that if Turkish personnel were absent, an Israeli strike would amount to an attack on military infrastructure. The presence of Turkish troops, however, could alter the situation by creating the possibility of Turkish military casualties, an Ankara response, US involvement and a direct confrontation with a NATO member.
The newspaper said these potential consequences could complicate Israel’s calculations, while arguing that they would not necessarily prevent Israel from making its own decision over military action.
The analysis also considers the geographical scope of NATO’s obligations. It says Article 5 provides protection to alliance members within their official territories, whereas Turkish forces operating beyond Turkey’s borders, including in Syria or northern Cyprus, would not necessarily have the same level of NATO protection.
The newspaper further described the close security relationship between Ankara and Damascus as a threat from Israel’s perspective, arguing that a broader Turkish military role in Syria could increase Tel Aviv’s security concerns.
