Al-Shaybani to Israel: No plans for a Turkish base in Abu Al-Phour
- Damascus: Turkish military personnel visited the base as part of training and military cooperation
- Ankara confirms it “will not fall into the trap” set by Netanyahu in Syria
- Hakabi: Washington is working to establish a “de-escalation process”
- Channel 12 (Israel): Incidents recorded in international waters between the Turkish and Israeli navies
Jerusalem, Damascus, Ankara – AFP, Reuters – Amidst escalating verbal hostilities following Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase, Israel accused Turkey of conducting “dangerous adventures in Syria,” while Ankara insisted it “will not fall into the trap” laid by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Syria.
For his part, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told the Axios website on Wednesday that he had clarified to Israel there were no plans to establish a Turkish military base at Abu al-Duhur.
He added that Turkish military personnel had visited the base in Idlib province a few days before Tuesday’s dawn strike, but stressed that this was part of ongoing military cooperation in training and experience-sharing.
Shibani affirmed that Israel had no legitimate justification for the bombing, emphasizing that “there is no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to deploy a permanent Turkish military presence or Turkish forces at the site.”
He noted that the facility was largely empty and had not yet been fully operational.
He pointed out that Syria and Israel had made significant progress toward reaching a security agreement during talks mediated by the United States over the course of a year, but Tel Aviv later backtracked on its commitments, and the agreement was never implemented.
Reuters sources told the agency on Wednesday that the issue of Turkish military deployment in Syria had been discussed in a rare phone call between Shibani and Israeli Mossad head Romen Gofman on August 14, just days before the attack.
In Ankara, Presidential Communications Director Burhanuddin Duran said, “We have enough experience not to fall into the trap of figures like Netanyahu, whose goal is to undermine peace and stability in our region.”
The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that no Turkish military delegation was present at the base before or during the raid, and that Turkey would continue to support Syria’s efforts to develop its military capabilities and infrastructure.
It added, “It is essential for the peace and stability of both Syria and the region that Israel cease such reckless attacks and comply with the requirements of international law.” It affirmed, “We will firmly continue our efforts to protect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
In an implicit acknowledgment of carrying out the strike, Netanyahu announced on Wednesday evening that his country had sent a “clear” message to Turkey regarding the necessity of not establishing military bases in Syria.
Writing on the X platform in both Hebrew and Turkish, he stated, “It is better for Erdogan to continue his unrealistic and detached-from-reality speeches against Israel within the Turkish parliament, rather than attempting to test Israel’s resolve to defend itself.”
While Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, stated on Tuesday that Washington was working to create a mechanism for de-escalation between Israel, Turkey, and Syria, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters on Wednesday that Washington was working to establish a “de-escalation process.”
When asked whether Washington was concerned that Israeli actions could lead to a confrontation between Israel and Turkey, he said, “I don’t think it has reached that point. And I don’t think we are even close to that.”
He continued, “Israel saw Turkey advancing further south and considered it a potential threat. Israel did not take actions that resulted in casualties. Nor did it take actions that resulted in the destruction of key assets.”
In a related development, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Thursday morning that several incidents had recently occurred in international waters between Turkish Navy vessels conducting maneuvers near Israeli ships in the eastern Mediterranean basin.
According to Israeli security sources, the Turkish ships sought to demonstrate their presence and strength, approaching Israeli vessels on several separate occasions, but the incidents concluded without any unusual occurrences.
“The message received was clear: The Turks are aware of our presence there, and they are sending signals indicating their own presence as well,” the report stated.
It characterized the Turkish Navy’s actions as a show of force, emphasizing that Turkey is present and does not ignore Israel’s presence or the movements of Israeli ships in the area.
The Turkish naval activity coincided with an enhancement of relations between Ankara and Damascus. Last July, the commander of the Turkish Navy visited Syria at the head of an official naval delegation and met with senior Syrian naval officials. The visit drew significant attention in Israel, which expressed concerns about the possibility of Ankara consolidating its presence in the Syrian maritime arena and deepening military cooperation.
According to the channel, the presence of the Turkish Navy, considered a highly significant force in the region, could exacerbate tensions with Israel in the Mediterranean basin and increase the likelihood of confrontations and clashes at sea.
