Israel and Turkey face a dangerous clash over Syria's future
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani rejected claims that Turkey intended to establish a military base at Abu al-Duhur, saying the site was being restored for use by the Syrian Air Force.
Israel’s strike on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria has pushed an increasingly difficult Israeli-Turkish relationship into one of its most sensitive arenas yet, raising the prospect that Syria could become not only a point of competition between the two regional powers, but also the place where their respective security red lines overlap.
The Israeli strike on August 18 targeted the airbase in Idlib province amid Israeli concerns that Turkey could expand its military presence there. Turkey and Syria have not publicly confirmed reports that Ankara was preparing the type of deployment described by Israel.
Israel warned against any expansion of Turkey’s military footprint in southern Syria following an airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying such a move would threaten Israeli security and alter the existing regional balance.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani rejected claims that Turkey intended to establish a military base at Abu al-Duhur, saying the site was being restored for use by the Syrian Air Force.
US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, publicly criticized the attack as an unnecessary escalation and said Washington is working on a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Turkey, and Syria.
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