Turkey denies military presence at Syrian base struck by Israel – What we know
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File photo: A member of Syrian government forces, stands guard the Abu Duhur military air base area in Idlib province, on January 21, 2018. Photograph: (AFP)
Turkey denied having a military presence at Syria’s Abu al-Zuhur air base after Israel struck it. Ankara condemned the attack, while Netanyahu warned against Turkish military entrenchment in Syria.
Turkey on Thursday (Aug 20) denied having any military presence at a Syrian air base struck by Israel earlier this week, rejecting claims that Ankara was preparing to establish a military foothold at the facility in northern Syria. The Abu al-Zuhur air base, near Aleppo, was targeted by Israeli strikes on Tuesday (Aug 18). The facility has remained out of service since 2012 after suffering extensive damage during Syria’s civil war.
Israel said the strikes followed a recent visit to the base by a Turkish military delegation. The claim has fuelled concerns in Israel over a possible expansion of Turkey’s military presence in Syria.
“There was no Turkish military delegation at the Abu al-Zuhur airbase before or during the attack carried out by Israel,” a Turkish defence official told journalists on Thursday, speaking anonymously.
Netanyahu warns Turkey
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel would oppose any Turkish military entrenchment moving towards its territory.
“We will not tolerate a Turkish military entrenchment moving southward, because it threatens us,” Netanyahu said in an army radio podcast.
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Ankara, however, rejected Israel’s action and reaffirmed its support for Syria’s territorial integrity. Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk described the strikes as “unacceptable”, accusing Israel of undermining Syria’s stability and sovereignty.
“Israel's attack on the Abu al-Zuhur air base is aimed at harming Syria's stability, security, unity, integrity and infrastructure,” Akturk said.
He added that Turkey would continue its efforts to support Syria’s sovereignty and help create conditions for post-war stability.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had earlier reported that the Israeli strikes came after a Turkish military delegation visited the airfield as part of efforts to reactivate it.
The dispute highlights growing tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria, where both countries have competing security interests as Damascus seeks to rebuild after years of conflict.
