Türkiye is worried about Israel’s attacks in Syria in the post-Assad era, with Defense Ministry sources stressing yesterday that the airstrikes aim only to harm the country’s stability.
The sources did not openly respond to questions about tensions with Israel in Syria, where Turkish troops are still stationed in northern parts, saying they were in coordination with Syria’s new government for the safe conduct of military activities in the country.
Over the past week, Israel has struck deep inside Syria, with unconfirmed reports suggesting Turkish and Israeli warplanes had a close encounter over the weekend.
The reports, officially denied by Israel, sparked alarm over the possible consequences of any confrontation in Syria, where Türkiye carried out several cross-border operations to wipe out terrorist groups in the past and enjoys close cooperation with the current administration. The fall of the Assad regime prompted Israel to exploit a brief security vacuum to capture parts of the Golan Heights contested between Israel and Syria. Later, it launched strikes against what it deemed security threats. Israel also acts under the pretext of the protection of the Druze community in Syria while barely hiding its intentions to expand the current conflict with Palestinians to a wider region, a fact Türkiye repeatedly warned about.
Israel has launched strikes in the past in Syria, targeting what it called Iran’s paramilitary forces. Tel Aviv now sees the current administration, whose ideology or mindset entirely runs counter to the Assad regime’s oppressive policies, as a threat.
Turkish officials have voiced frustration at Israel’s operations in Syria, including strikes it says were to protect the Druze minority but that Ankara sees as a threat to its interests and regional stability. “Israel is trying to dynamite the Dec. 8 revolution by stirring up ethnic and religious affiliations and turning minorities in Syria against the government,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last month.
For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an expanded Turkish military presence in Syria is a threat. “We don’t want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base for attack in Israel,” Netanyahu said last month.
Israeli warplanes targeted two air bases last month where Türkiye was reportedly looking to establish military positions, a Syrian source told Agence France-Presse (AFP), in what was widely seen as a warning to Ankara.
Israel and Türkiye held “technical talks” in April in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to avoid a conflict in Syria. They have not met since, but Netanyahu was expected to meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the coming weeks. A meeting this week was postponed, reportedly due to the Turkish refusal to allow his plane into Turkish airspace.
Pakistan-India conflict
Sources also emphasized Türkiye’s stance on the conflict between Pakistan and India, in which Ankara has called for de-escalation and condemns attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
“We urge the sides to relieve tensions as soon as possible and hope they will set up mechanisms to prevent a repeat of recent incidents, including a mechanism for counterterrorism,” the sources said.
Fight against terrorism
Separately, the Defense Ministry’s spokesperson, Brig. Adm. Zeki Aktürk, spoke at a weekly news briefing in the capital, Ankara, on Thursday and detailed the fight against terrorism by the PKK.
Aktürk said the army’s operations and measures led to the surrender of three PKK members last week who fled into Türkiye from northern Iraq. He said that the troops also demolished caves used as shelters by the PKK and destroyed munitions and weapons hidden by terrorists. He said four terrorists were also captured on the Turkish border as they tried to infiltrate into the country. In Syria, he said, tunnels used as shelters by terrorists in Tal Rifaat and Manbij were demolished.
Regarding international activities, Aktürk said that Türkiye would take over the command of NATO’s Kosovo Force in October 2025 for one year, a first since 2023-2024, when it commanded the peacekeeping force.
“Our country, which has made significant and decisive contributions to the security of NATO and the Euro-Atlantic region in the past, as well as today and in the future, will carry out its upcoming command in accordance with NATO and U.N. resolutions, with complete impartiality and transparency as required by international responsibility,” he said.
Aktürk also pointed out that Eray Üngüder became the first Turkish general to head NATO’s Directorate of Security Cooperation. “This marks the first time in NATO history that our country will be represented at the director level at NATO’s international military headquarters in Brussels. The selection of our personnel for this vital position significantly indicates Türkiye’s active role in NATO and its contributions to the alliance’s security and stability. As a strong and reliable ally, Türkiye will continue contributing to NATO’s efforts to maintain peace and security.”