MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. A significant conflict between Israel and Turkey cannot be ruled out, as both nations are key beneficiaries of recent events in Syria, Vitaly Naumkin, academic director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated.

"It’s important to note that the primary development in this context is the markedly increased role of non-Arab states in the region, particularly two key players," Naumkin said during the presentation of the Ye. M. Primakov Center for Foreign Policy Cooperation’s report, titled The Mission of Russia's Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy in the Middle East, hosted at TASS. "The leading beneficiary is Israel, emerging as a pivotal country in the Middle East. The second is Turkey, which is now directly competing with Israel. I would not dismiss the possibility of a major conflict between the two," he added.

On November 27, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against government forces in Aleppo and Idlib governorates. By the evening of December 7, opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad had captured several major cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Deraa, and Homs. They entered Damascus on December 8, prompting Syrian army units to withdraw from the city. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who since January 2024 led the so-called Salvation Government in Idlib province, announced his appointment as interim prime minister. The transitional period will last until March 1, 2025.