Türkiye has reaffirmed its support for Syria’s efforts to develop its military capabilities and infrastructure and preserve its unity and sovereignty, while denying that any Turkish delegation was present at the Abu al-Duhur military airbase before or during Tuesday’s Israeli strike. A Turkish Defense Ministry official described the attack as an attempt to destabilize Syria, undermine its security, unity and territorial integrity, and damage its infrastructure. Speaking at the ministry’s weekly briefing Thursday, the official said any attack violating Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was unacceptable, stressing that no Turkish military delegation had been at the base before or during the strike. The official urged Israel to halt such “reckless” attacks and abide by international law, adding that Türkiye would continue to support Syria in building its military capabilities and infrastructure under the principle of “one state, one army.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said after the strike that Israel had warned Syria against allowing a Turkish presence at Abu al-Duhur. “Our message was very clear: Don’t do it,” it said, adding that Damascus had ignored the warning. The Turkish presidency rejected the allegations as “baseless,” accusing Netanyahu of promoting them ahead of Israel’s October elections and calling on the international community to curb Israeli actions threatening regional peace and stability. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told Axios that Damascus had previously informed Israel there were no plans to establish a Turkish military base at Abu al-Duhur, which was being rehabilitated for use by the Syrian Air Force. Al-Shaibani said Turkish military personnel had previously visited the airbase as part of broader training and military cooperation, but denied any Turkish buildup there. The facility was largely empty and work had not yet begun, he added. There was no intention to establish a Turkish base, permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish troops there, al-Shaibani underlined, saying Israel had no legitimate justification for bombing the facility. He stressed that Syria remained open to negotiations with Israel on de-escalation, provided any agreement addressed both sides’ security concerns and respected Syrian sovereignty. Türkiye-Israel relations have grown increasingly strained since Israel’s 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara, part of the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla. US mediation later helped repair ties, culminating in a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Netanyahu in New York on September 19, 2023. Relations deteriorated sharply after the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023. Ankara has accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and suspended trade. The rivalry intensified in Syria after Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024 and Türkiye strengthened political, economic, defense and security ties with President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government. Israel, concerned about Türkiye’s military presence in Syria, previously struck the Hama military airport, claiming Ankara planned Turkish air and ground bases at Palmyra, the T4 military airbase in Homs province and the Menagh military airbase in the Aleppo province.
