The geopolitical outlook of the Middle East has historically been marked by temporary and fluid alliances. The Syrian crisis, from its initial outbreak to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, provides a comprehensive and contemporary illustration of the transient and episodic nature of alliances in the region. During the previous regime, Israel and Turkey seemingly formed a regional axis aimed at weakening Iran’s power and overthrowing Assad’s government. However, with the regime’s collapse in 2024, these two countries—due to differing strategic visions, ambitions, domestic political imperatives, and new strategic calculations—shifted from cooperation to a state of conflict and confrontation. The purpose of this article is to highlight the conflicting nature of Turkey and Israel’s interests and preferences in light of the post-Assad developments in Syria and the shifts in the region’s geopolitical balance. The central question addressed is: What factors have driven Turkey and Israel to adopt conflicting strategies in post-Assad Syria? The hypothesis posits that Turkey and Israel’s efforts to reshape the regional balance of power, driven by the geopolitical changes stemming from the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, are the primary factors behind their adversarial strategies in Syria.

The findings suggest that the geopolitical transformations in the region have led Turkey and Israel to adopt conflicting strategies in Syria, manifested in their divergent perspectives on the nature and structure of Syria’s future political system, differing approaches to Syrian minorities, military presence, and competition over strategic corridors.