Israel defends Syria strike, warns against Turkish military expansion

The Israeli government has stated that its recent strike on a base in Syria was conducted to prevent a Turkish military buildup near its borders. Doron Spielman, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office’s public diplomacy team, said in a video that Turkey currently controls approximately 5% of Syrian territory and that Israel will not allow this military presence to expand toward its border. According to Spielman, Israel had previously warned Syria against allowing Turkish forces to deploy at the Abu al-Dahour airbase, but Damascus ignored those warnings. He also cited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rhetoric against Israel and the United States, emphasizing that Israel cannot ignore threats to its security. However, Spielman clarified that Israel is not seeking escalation and welcomes a return to the previous status quo. The strike drew criticism from Tom Barrack, the U.S. envoy to Syria and Turkey, who warned that the action could increase the Turkish presence in the region. Meanwhile, the Turkish presidency described the Netanyahu government’s efforts to portray Turkey as a new threat as part of its election strategy.