Turkiye slams Israeli strike on Syrian air base
Shafaq News- Ankara
Turkiye on Thursday condemned Israel's recent strike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur air base, denying that any Turkish military personnel were at the facility before or during the attack.
The Turkish Defense Ministry characterized the strike as a threat to Syria's stability, security and territorial integrity, warning that further Israeli military action against Syrian infrastructure could hinder the country's recovery.
Urging Israel to halt such operations and abide by international law, ministry spokesman Zeki Akturk stressed that Turkiye would continue supporting Syria's efforts to restore its infrastructure and strengthen its military capabilities.
İsrail, imzalanan çerçeve anlaşmasına rağmen Lübnan’ın güneyindeki saldırılarına ve askerî faaliyetlerine devam etmekte; Suriye’ye yönelik son saldırılarıyla da bu ülkenin toprak bütünlüğünü, egemenliğini ve birliğini hedef almaktadır.#MillîSavunmaBakanlığı pic.twitter.com/kiaZee9cKV
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) August 20, 2026
Israeli aircraft struck the Abu al-Duhur air base in Idlib province, northwestern Syria, early Tuesday, hitting the runway and storage areas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Damascus had been close to allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the base despite repeated Israeli warnings that such a move would threaten Israel's security.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, however, cautioned that there had been no plan to establish a Turkish base, maintain a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site. He noted that work at the air base was limited to rehabilitating facilities damaged during the war for use by the Syrian Air Force, adding that the facility was largely empty when the Israeli aircraft arrived.
Tom Barrack, the US special envoy for Syria and ambassador to Turkiye, called the Israeli operation an unnecessary escalation that did little to advance regional stability.
