Turkey denies military visit to Syria base Israel struck
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- Turkey's defence ministry denied any military delegation had visited the Abu al-Zuhur air base before or during Israel's August 18 strike, directly contradicting claims from Israel and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
- Netanyahu warned Israel would not tolerate a 'threat' from a Turkish military entrenchment moving southward, citing a recent visit by Turkish forces to the base near Aleppo.
- Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk called the Israeli strikes 'unacceptable' and pledged Ankara would continue 'resolutely' protecting Syria's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
- Turkey's presidency ruled out retaliation, with communications director Burhanettin Duran calling Netanyahu's stance a 'trap' driven by upcoming elections, internal tensions, and 'fears.'
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the August 18 strike followed a Turkish military visit as part of efforts to reactivate the base, which has been out of service since 2012.
- Syria accused Israel on August 18 of hitting the disused military air base, drawing a public clash with Turkey that has played out through separate statements over two days.
Why it matters: The dispute puts Turkey's stated posture against Israeli intelligence claims: Ankara flatly denies reactivation efforts at Abu al-Zuhur while refusing to retaliate, forcing Netanyahu to choose between escalating diplomatically or accepting the public denial — a calculation Turkey's presidency explicitly tied to his upcoming domestic elections.
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