Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel warned\nTurkey against conducting military activity in Syria before the Israeli\nmilitary struck an airbase said to be a target of Ankara.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu made the remarks in a podcast interview on Wednesday\n(19\/8), a day after Israel launched an attack on a military base in\nnorthwestern Syria. Netanyahu stressed that Israel would not allow an\nincrease in Turkey\u2019s military presence in Syria, which he said\nthreatened Israel\u2019s security.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message was delivered, but it appears they did not listen, so we\nmade sure they understood it more clearly,\u201d Netanyahu said.<\/p>\n
He said Israel would not tolerate the build-up of Turkish military\npower in Syria moving southward.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsrael will not tolerate a Turkish military build-up moving south\nbecause it threatens us,\u201d Netanyahu said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, three sources familiar with the matter said Mossad chief\nRoman Gofman held a telephone conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister\nAsaad al-Shaibani last week. The discussion covered Turkey\u2019s military\npresence in Syria.<\/p>\n
The conversation took place on 14 August and was one of the\nhigh-level contacts between Israel and Syria\u2019s new government since the\nfall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.<\/p>\n
Turkey and Syria condemned the Israeli airstrike on the base. The\nSyrian government said the attack caused material damage but no\ncasualties.<\/p>\n
United States Ambassador to Turkey and Syria Tom Barrack also\ncondemned the attack, calling it an \u201cunnecessary escalation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s relationship with Syria\u2019s new government remains marked by\ntension, particularly regarding the presence of Israeli forces in a\nbuffer zone in southern Syria. However, the two sides have held a number\nof direct negotiations and agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing\nmechanism.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Israel has repeatedly voiced concern about the\nstrengthening of Turkey\u2019s military presence in Syria.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu\u2019s office said on Tuesday that Turkish forces were permitted\nto be stationed at the airbase, thereby violating an agreed status\nquo.<\/p>\n
Turkey denied the accusation and dismissed Israel\u2019s claims as\nbaseless.<\/p>\n
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the Israeli\nattack came after \u201ca visit by a Turkish military delegation to the\nairfield in recent days\u201d. Several Syrian officials also confirmed that a\nTurkish military visit had indeed taken place recently.<\/p>\n
Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Syrian territory since\nAssad\u2019s fall in December 2024. Assad was toppled by armed opposition\ngroups led by former leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who received support from\nTurkey and strong backing from US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
The latest Israeli strike is significant because its location is far\ndeeper inside Syrian territory compared with the security zone along\nIsrael\u2019s southern border.<\/p>\n
The dispute over Turkey\u2019s military presence adds to the complexity of\nthe three countries\u2019 relationship amid efforts by Syria\u2019s new government\nto rebuild regional ties.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/israel-claims-it-warned-turkey-before-striking-syrian-military-base-1787208627", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }