Turkey on Thursday denied having any military presence at an air base in northern Syria struck by Israel earlier this week, and vowed to continue “resolutely” supporting Syrian sovereignty.
He views hostility toward Turkey as a political lifeline”. He said Netanyahu was “clinging to this irrational stance due to upcoming elections, internal political tensions, and fears.
Israel said a Turkish military delegation had recently visited the site, with a Syrian war monitor saying it was part of efforts to reactivate the base. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also said Turkish forces had recently toured the base, with the prime minister himself warning that Israel would not tolerate a “threat” from a Turkish presence there. But Turkish defence ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk said the strikes were “unacceptable” and that Ankara would act “resolutely” to protect Syria’s efforts to establish post-war stability. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had on Tuesday said the Israeli strikes took place after “a visit by a Turkish military delegation to the airfield in recent days as part of efforts to reactivate it”.
