Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on a Syrian military base on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claimed Syria was close to allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.
Israel said such a deployment would violate existing security arrangements and threaten its national security, warning that it would not tolerate the move.
Turkey accused Israel of using the claims to justify its strikes on Syria and undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has made these claims to justify Israel’s airstrikes on Syria and undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement posted on X.
Ankara also accused Netanyahu’s government of pursuing “expansionist and destabilising policies”, saying lasting regional peace would require Israel to respect international law and end what it described as aggressive and coercive actions.
Turkey said it would continue working with the Syrian government to promote peace, stability and prosperity while opposing efforts to destabilise the country.
The strikes come as tensions grow between Israel and Turkey over their competing military interests in Syria.
Turkey has emerged as a key ally of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and has accused Israel of seeking to undermine Syria’s administration and territorial integrity.
Despite their differences, particularly over the war in Gaza, Turkey and Israel established a communication channel last year to reduce the risk of military incidents in Syria.
US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack said Washington was working to establish a mechanism to prevent clashes between Israel, Turkey and Syria.
Barrack said the United States was facilitating information-sharing and dialogue among the three countries as efforts continued to manage rising tensions in Syria.
Goodness Anunobi
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