Geostrategic Media Political Commentary, Analysis, Security, Defense
Israeli War Minister Israel Katz warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, writing in Turkish on X that Erdogan “is dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria” and that “Israel” will not “allow any actor to threaten its security”.
Katz added that “it would be better” for Erdogan to continue his “reality-detached, fantastical statements” against “Israel” in the Turkish parliament than to “attempt to test Israel’s resolve on self-defense”.
The statement followed remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday night, who said “Israel” will not “tolerate a Turkish military presence in Syria that threatens Israel”.
Netanyahu claimed the Israeli regime had delivered its warning “crystal clear” but that Turkey “didn’t hear it loud enough, so we made sure they understood it better”, an apparent reference to an Israeli attack a day earlier on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase.
Attack on Abu al-Duhur airbase
Netanyahu’s office claimed late on Tuesday that Syria was “on the verge of breaching” a security understanding with “Israel” by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo, accusing Damascus of ignoring repeated Israeli warnings.
The claim came after Israeli aggression hit Abu al-Duhur airbase in eastern Idlib, the first strike on that base since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry called the strike “unjustified aggression” and a “dangerous escalation.” Jordan and Qatar condemned it in similar terms, with Amman calling it “a blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter.”
US envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack declined to endorse Netanyahu’s justification, calling the strike an “unnecessary escalation” and saying Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government “does not harbor proxy forces.”
Turkey rejects Israeli framing
Turkey’s Communications Directorate rejected Netanyahu’s claims, calling them “frivolous allegations” intended to “legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Ankara said the accusations stem from Netanyahu’s push to pursue “expansionist and destabilizing policies” in the region ahead of elections.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said earlier this month that Ankara is “closely monitoring” the rise in tension caused by Israeli actions in Syria and “taking all necessary measures in response,” while stressing that Turkey is working with Damascus to uphold Syria’s sovereignty.
For his part, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Turkey wants no confrontation with “Israel” in Syria, but that repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian military facilities are eroding the new government’s ability to deter threats including ISIS. “We don’t want to see any confrontation with Israel in Syria because Syria belongs to Syrians,” Fidan said.
Thursday’s exchange extends a confrontation that has built steadily since December 2024. In April 2025, “Israel” struck the T4 airbase near Homs days after Turkey had reportedly scouted the site for a joint defense pact with Damascus; an Israeli source told Haaretz any Turkish base near Palmyra would be treated as “a red line.”
