Turkey rejects Israel’s justification for strikes on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase, accusing Jerusalem of violating Syrian sovereignty and stability.
Published: Aug 19, 2026, 4:41 AM (GMT+3)
Recep Tayyip ErdoganReuters
Turkey on Tuesday night condemned Israel’s confirmation that it carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria, rejecting Jerusalem’s explanation for the operation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel acted after Syria was close to violating a security understanding by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.
“Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.”
The statement added that Israel had repeatedly warned Damascus that a Turkish deployment there would endanger Israeli security.
“Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo.”
Turkey’s Directorate of Communications rejected the Israeli explanation, accusing Jerusalem of attempting to justify an attack on Syrian territory.
“The allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Ministry, which lack seriousness, aim to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.”
Ankara further accused Netanyahu of pursuing regional expansion and destabilization for political purposes ahead of elections in Israel.
“The accusations raised stem from Netanyahu’s intent to continue his expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of elections in Israel,” Turkey claimed.
“Turkey, like the vast majority of the international community, supports the establishment of lasting peace in our region. The sole path to this lies in Netanyahu abandoning his aggressive and coercive policies and demonstrating respect for international law.”
Turkey also defended its cooperation with the Syrian government, saying it would continue working with Damascus to promote stability.
“Turkey will steadfastly continue its cooperation with the Syrian Government on legitimate grounds to establish peace, stability, and prosperity in Syria, and will never allow Syria to be destabilized,” the statement concluded.
The dispute comes amid already strained relations between Turkey and Israel. Ankara and Jerusalem had been moving toward renewed diplomatic ties before the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist massacre in southern Israel, but relations deteriorated sharply afterward. Turkish officials, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have since repeatedly criticized Israel.
In March of last year, Erdogan described Israel as a “terror state” after Israeli preemptive strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. He later said Netanyahu’s government represented the single greatest threat to stability in the Middle East.
Erdogan renewed his criticism last week, accusing Israel of seeking to remove the Palestinian Arab issue from the international agenda.
“The aim of the Netanyahu government is to remove Palestine from the common agenda of humanity by profiting from chaos and new conflicts in the region,” Erdogan alleged during a joint press briefing with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
He also pledged that Turkey would continue supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“No matter what they do, they will not succeed. The Palestinian cause will continue to grow in people’s hearts as they try to destroy it.”
Erdogan criticized Israel again on Monday during a phone call with US President Donald Trump. According to Turkey’s Communications Directorate, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations as well as international and regional developments.
Regarding Gaza, Erdogan told Trump that while efforts are focused on moving to the second phase of the peace framework, there has been an “increase in actions by the Israeli government targeting Palestinians”.
The Turkish statement added that “Turkey will continue to support lasting peace in the region and steps to be taken for the reconstruction of Gaza.”
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