Turkiye rejects Israeli claims over strike on Syrian air base
Turkiye on Wednesday rejected Israeli allegations that it posed a threat by preparing to send troops to a military air base in Syria, which was hit in a strike that the United States has attributed to Israel.
The strike, which took place in the vicinity of Aleppo, marks a rare and public defiance by Israel of the United States. Washington has sought to support Syria's new government, led by a former jihadist figure aligned with Turkiye. The US has not publicly condemned the strike, but its immediate blame of Israel signals a delicate diplomatic situation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement on Tuesday, following a day of official silence from Israel, saying that Israel and Syria had agreed to a status quo on security matters. According to the statement, Syria was on the verge of breaching that understanding by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.
"Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings," the statement said. It stopped short of explicitly acknowledging Israeli responsibility for the strike.
Turkish officials rejected the Israeli account, dismissing it as baseless and reiterating that Turkey's military presence in Syria is part of its broader efforts to combat terrorism and secure its southern border. Ankara has not provided further details about its purported plans to use the Aleppo airbase.
The incident underscores the complex web of alliances and rivalries in post-war Syria. Turkiye has been a key backer of the new Syrian administration, while Israel has repeatedly voiced concerns about arms transfers and military buildups near its border. The United States, caught between these interests, has tried to navigate the tensions without alienating either side.
Israel has a history of carrying out strikes inside Syria, usually targeting Iranian or Hezbollah positions, but this is among the first known cases where it has directly challenged a US-supported government. The Israeli statement's indirect acknowledgment of the strike, without claiming it, appears to be a calculated diplomatic step aimed at deterring further Syrian moves while avoiding a direct confrontation with Washington.
No official reports of casualties or damage from the strike have been released, and independent verification remains difficult due to restricted access in the area. Regional analysts note that the clash over the airbase reflects deeper anxieties about the direction of Syria's reconstruction and security arrangements after years of civil conflict.
