Israel Claims It Warned Turkey Before Striking Syrian Military Base
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel warned Turkey against conducting military activity in Syria before the Israeli military struck an airbase said to be a target of Ankara.
Netanyahu made the remarks in a podcast interview on Wednesday (19/8), a day after Israel launched an attack on a military base in northwestern Syria. Netanyahu stressed that Israel would not allow an increase in Turkey’s military presence in Syria, which he said threatened Israel’s security.
“The message was delivered, but it appears they did not listen, so we made sure they understood it more clearly,” Netanyahu said.
He said Israel would not tolerate the build-up of Turkish military power in Syria moving southward.
“Israel will not tolerate a Turkish military build-up moving south because it threatens us,” Netanyahu said.
Meanwhile, three sources familiar with the matter said Mossad chief Roman Gofman held a telephone conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani last week. The discussion covered Turkey’s military presence in Syria.
The conversation took place on 14 August and was one of the high-level contacts between Israel and Syria’s new government since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Turkey and Syria condemned the Israeli airstrike on the base. The Syrian government said the attack caused material damage but no casualties.
United States Ambassador to Turkey and Syria Tom Barrack also condemned the attack, calling it an “unnecessary escalation”.
Israel’s relationship with Syria’s new government remains marked by tension, particularly regarding the presence of Israeli forces in a buffer zone in southern Syria. However, the two sides have held a number of direct negotiations and agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism.
On the other hand, Israel has repeatedly voiced concern about the strengthening of Turkey’s military presence in Syria.
Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday that Turkish forces were permitted to be stationed at the airbase, thereby violating an agreed status quo.
Turkey denied the accusation and dismissed Israel’s claims as baseless.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the Israeli attack came after “a visit by a Turkish military delegation to the airfield in recent days”. Several Syrian officials also confirmed that a Turkish military visit had indeed taken place recently.
Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on Syrian territory since Assad’s fall in December 2024. Assad was toppled by armed opposition groups led by former leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who received support from Turkey and strong backing from US President Donald Trump.
The latest Israeli strike is significant because its location is far deeper inside Syrian territory compared with the security zone along Israel’s southern border.
The dispute over Turkey’s military presence adds to the complexity of the three countries’ relationship amid efforts by Syria’s new government to rebuild regional ties.