Ankara rejects Israeli ‘allegations’ on airbase, but Syrian officials confirm Turkish visit

Turkey firmly rejected on Wednesday what it called “untenable allegations” by Israel regarding its military position in Syria, after Israel bombed a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border and said Syria was on the verge of permitting Turkish troops to deploy there.

But Syrian officials admitted Wednesday that Turkish officials had visited the base in question a day before the Israeli strikes, while the IDF chief said in a visit to Syria that Israel would not allow “hostile forces” along its borders.

Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur base near Aleppo on Tuesday, drawing condemnation from Turkey and criticism from US Ambassador Tom Barrack, who called the attack an “unnecessary escalation.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office accused Syria late Tuesday of being on the verge of violating a “status quo agreed with Israel in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase, adding that such a deployment would threaten Israel’s security.

In response, Turkey’s presidency said Wednesday that the “imputations” from Netanyahu’s office stemmed from his intention to pursue “expansionist and destabilizing policies” ahead of the upcoming national election in Israel, adding that lasting regional peace could only be achieved if Israel respected international law and abandoned its “aggressive and coercive policies.”

“The untenable allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office are intended to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it said on X, without explicitly referring to any potential deployment plans.

“Turkey will resolutely continue to cooperate with the Syrian Government on a legitimate basis for the establishment of peace, stability, and prosperity in Syria, and will never allow the destabilization of Syria.”

Turkish media outlets also reacted harshly to the Israeli strike and accusations, accusing Jerusalem of fomenting conflict.

The daily newspaper Takvim asserted Tuesday that Israel “is experiencing hysterical panic attacks” after the recent defense pact signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, declaring in a separate headline that “Turkey is the Zionists’ target.”

The front page of the Turkiye daily newspaper called the strike a “major provocation from Israel,” while a separate headline claimed that a recent phone call between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “drove ‘genocidal Israel’ crazy.”

Meanwhile, Syrian officials told The Associated Press Wednesday that a Turkish delegation had in fact visited the airbase in northern Syria on Monday.

Two officials — who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly — said the Turkish delegation had visited the airbase in the northwestern province of Idlib Monday to review rehabilitation work underway at the facility.

It was the first confirmation of a Turkish presence at the Abu Duhur base.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited troops in the Israel-held buffer zone in southern Syria Wednesday morning, and said Israel “will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves along our borders.”

“We see what is happening and are monitoring the changes on the Syrian front. We must prepare for them accordingly,” he said, according to remarks provided by the IDF. “We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves along our borders, and we will know how to use our power precisely where it is needed and when it is needed.”

The IDF chief added that the military “must prevent the development of terror threats, while at the same time preventing the emergence of a significant military threat along our borders.”

The Israeli strikes on Tuesday followed worsening security tensions between Israel and Turkey and increasingly sharp rhetoric between the two countries over Syria, where both countries’ militaries are active.

Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and has emerged as one of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s main allies, accuses Israel of trying to destabilize Syria and undermine its new administration, repeatedly calling for international pressure and measures on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara has been training Syria’s army, helping it rebuild its state institutions and infrastructure, and providing military and diplomatic support.

Israel meanwhile has accused Turkey of trying to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate and of taking advantage of the fall of the Assad regime for its own ends.