After Herzog visit, Cypriot official says Israel and UAE worried about Turkish influence in Syria

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Israel and the United Arab Emirates are concerned about the extent of Turkey’s military footprint and influence inside Syria and have reached out to Cyprus to act as a mediator, a Cypriot official says.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and the Emirati foreign minister held separate meetings with the president of Cyprus on Thursday to discuss events in Syria, the official says, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to publicly discuss details of the meetings.

The impromptu meetings came a day after Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides attended a trilateral summit in Cairo with Egypt’s president and Greece’s prime minister.

The official says there is a “convergence of views” between Israel, the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and other neighboring countries about how the situation within Syria will unfold and what repercussions they will have on the future of the region.

Turkey had long backed the Syrian rebels who overthrew President Bashar Assad, and is looking to protect its interests in the country now that Assad is gone. Turkey has also threatened a new military offensive into northern Syria unless Syrian Kurdish fighters lay down their arms.

Thank you, President @Christodulides, for your steadfast friendship and the warm and productive discussion we shared. We spoke about the issue that is of the highest priority—bringing home the hostages being cruelly held by Hamas in Gaza—as well as the latest regional challenges… pic.twitter.com/EIGxvZtbmU

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) January 9, 2025