Israel has carried out a series of airstrikes on a Syrian military airbase around 70km from the Turkish border, in an attack that comes amid growing tensions with Ankara over Türkiye’s expanding role in Syria.
Israeli warplanes reportedly launched eight strikes on the Abu al-Dhuhr military airbase in northern Syria, causing significant damage to the facility.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the attack followed a change to the security status quo between Israel and Syria, alleging that Turkish forces had been allowed to deploy at the base near Aleppo.
Türkiye rejected the allegation, denying that Turkish troops were stationed at Abu al-Dhuhr and accusing Israel of using the claim to justify an unlawful attack on Syrian territory.
Ankara said the Israeli accusations reflected Netanyahu’s wider “expansionist and destabilising” approach to the region.
Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Ankara continued to support regional stability and called on Netanyahu to abandon what it described as aggressive policies and respect international law.
The strike also came shortly after Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Defence Agreement, prompting some analysts to interpret the attack as a message to Ankara over its growing regional influence and security partnerships.
Reports have suggested Türkiye was preparing to assume a greater role at the Abu al-Dhuhr base and that the Israeli strikes took place shortly after a Turkish delegation had visited the site.
Syrian officials, however, denied that Turkish military personnel had been deployed there.
They said a Turkish technical team had only been present to assist with repairs to the runway and control tower.
The Israeli attack comes as Ankara deepens its political, military and reconstruction ties with the Syrian government, while Israel continues to carry out repeated strikes inside Syria.
Türkiye has vowed that the attack will not derail its cooperation with Damascus.
In an official statement, Ankara said it would continue working with the Syrian government to promote “peace, stability and prosperity” and would oppose attempts to destabilise the country.
The latest strike adds another layer to the increasingly open rivalry between Israel and Türkiye over the future security architecture of Syria and the wider region.
