19.08.2026 08:10
After Israel struck the Abu Zuhur Military Airport in northern Syria eight times, a statement directly targeting Turkey came from Tel Aviv. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office attempted to warn the Damascus government, describing the possibility of Turkish troops deploying to a base near Aleppo as a "threat to Israel's security."
After Israeli warplanes struck the Ebu Zuhur Military Airport in northern Syria eight times, a provocative statement directly targeting Turkey came from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Claiming that the Damascus administration was about to allow Turkish soldiers to be stationed at an airbase near Aleppo, Israel described this situation as a “threat” to its own security.
ISRAEL'S INTOLERANCE TOWARDS "TURKISH SOLDIERS"
In a statement made on the X account of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office immediately after the attack on Syrian territory, direct messages were given regarding Turkey's military presence in Syria. The statement, which claimed there was a security agreement between Israel and Syria, included the following expressions:
“Israel and Syria had agreed on maintaining the status quo in security matters. Syria came to the brink of violating this status quo by allowing Turkish troops to be stationed at an airbase near Aleppo.”
The Tel Aviv administration, which associated the presence of Turkish soldiers in the region with its own security, warned Damascus with the following words:
“Israel has warned Syria repeatedly that such a deployment would constitute a threat to Israel's security.”
Arguing that Syria did not take these warnings into account, Israel stated, “Syria chose to ignore these warnings.” The statement continued with an implication of potential military intervention, saying, “Israel will not tolerate threats to its security and will welcome a return to the status quo.”
8 BOMBARDMENTS ON EBU ZUHUR BASE
These statements by Israel targeting Turkey came immediately after the bombing of the Ebu Zuhur Air Base, located approximately 70 kilometers from the Turkish border.
According to the Syrian state television El-Ihbariye; Israeli warplanes carried out eight airstrikes on the facility on August 18, targeting the runways and storage areas. No casualties were reported in the attack on the base, which had not been actively used since 2013.
FIERCE REACTION FROM TURKEY AND SYRIA
Following the attack, Ankara emphasized that Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty had been violated and invited the international community to take a firm stance against Israel. Syrian Foreign Minister Esad Hasan Şeybani, on the other hand, described the attack as an “unjustified provocation.”
USA: UNNECESSARY ESCALATION
An unusually clear criticism of Israel's attacks also came from Washington. The US Special Representative for Syria and Ambassador to Ankara, Tom Barrack, criticized the attack as “an unnecessary escalation that does not serve regional stability.”
Stating that Turkey was not informed before the attack, Barrack noted that the Turkish side tracked the Israeli jets approaching its border on radar and that this situation could push Turkey into preparing a military response. Evaluating that the process did not turn into a conflict, the Ambassador said, “Fortunately, cool-headedness prevented the situation from worsening further.”
It was learned that the USA stepped in to establish a new non-conflict mechanism between Turkey, Israel, and Syria following the current crisis.