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Israel accused Türkiye on Tuesday of endangering regional stability by preparing to deploy troops to a Syrian airbase.
Following an official silence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that Syria breached security understandings by permitting a Turkish troop deployment near Aleppo despite repeated warnings.
The Israeli military targeted the runway at the Abu Duhur airbase in Idlib province with eight strikes. Syrian state media reported structural damage without casualties.
The attack marks a rare direct strike deep inside Syria, beyond the usual border security zone, following a visit by a Turkish military delegation working to reactivate the long-defunct facility.
The United States condemned the raid, calling it an unnecessary escalation.
US Envoy Tom Barrack confirmed Israeli responsibility and urged all parties to prioritise diplomacy over military action.
We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.
The Al-Sharra government has neither adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces. It has, in fact,…
— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) August 18, 2026
Despite being a NATO member and historically the first Muslim-majority nation to recognise Israel, Türkiye maintains strained relations with Netanyahu over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s support for Islamist causes and vocal opposition to Israeli operations in Gaza.
Syria’s foreign ministry denounced the strikes as unjustified aggression and urged intervention by the United Nations Security Council.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed that violations of Syrian sovereignty remain unacceptable, stressing that the Golan Heights remain Syrian territory.
Although Israel and Syria’s new leadership have held direct security talks, Israeli officials affirmed their intent to maintain troops inside Syria.
