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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 17, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Erdogan: ‘Terror state’ Israel using Druze as pretext to expand into Syria
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a media conference at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Israel of using the Druze minority in Syria as a pretext for expanding into the war-torn country.
“Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighboring Syria over the past two days,” Erdogan says in a televised speech after the weekly cabinet meeting, calling Israel a “terror state.”
Erdogan says Turkey will not allow Syria to be divided or its multicultural structure and territorial integrity harmed, after Israel’s actions allegedly sought to “sabotage” a ceasefire in the country.
Erdogan claims Israel’s actions show it does not want peace. Earlier, he spoke with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa about the situation.
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