Turkey has publicly denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of pursuing "expansionist and destabilizing policies" following Israeli airstrikes on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase. The Turkish government stated that the allegations from Israel were "untenable" and aimed at legitimizing unlawful strikes.
Netanyahu's office confirmed responsibility for the strike, asserting that Syria was on the verge of breaching a security agreement by permitting Turkish troops to deploy from the base near Aleppo. "Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo," the statement read.
Turkey's foreign ministry countered that the imputations were driven by Netanyahu's desire to advance expansionist policies ahead of Israeli elections. "Türkiye, like the vast majority of the international community, stands for the consolidation of lasting peace in our region," the ministry said via social media. "The sole path to this objective lies in Netanyahu’s abandonment of his aggressive and coercive policies and in his respect for international law."
Ankara pledged to "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."
The strike, which caused damage but no reported casualties, also drew criticism from U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack. Despite a senior Israeli official indicating that sensitive intelligence was shared with the U.S. in advance, Barrack expressed concern that the strikes constituted an "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability."
Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. special envoy for Syria, stated that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has shown a preference for de-escalation with Israel and has not adopted a "predatory posture." Barrack is reportedly working to establish a deconfliction mechanism to ease tensions between Israel, Turkey, and Syria.
Since the removal of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has conducted multiple strikes within Syria, aiming to impede the new government's military buildup near the border. Netanyahu has previously stated his desire for the region south of Damascus to remain demilitarized and has expressed a commitment to protecting the Druze population in Syria.