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IDF confirms outgoing Operations Directorate chief traveled to Azerbaijan for talks on Syria

By Emanuel Fabian 16 May 2025, 7:13 pm Edit

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, chief of the IDF Operations Directorate, attends a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, July 18, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)
Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, chief of the IDF Operations Directorate, attends a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, July 18, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

The outgoing chief of the IDF Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, visited Azerbaijan this week to coordinate security matters with Turkey regarding Syria, the military confirms.

According to the IDF, Basiuk did not meet with any Syrian officials in Baku, rather only Turkish ones, contrary to reports in Hebrew-language media.

US President Donald Trump this week invited Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel.

Sharaa confirmed last week that security-related talks were being held through mediators, though he did not comment on potential diplomatic relations.

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