US Envoy Says Turkey Was Not Warned of Israeli Airstrike on Syrian Base, Risking Military Response

Tom Barrett, the US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, told Reuters on Tuesday that Turkey was not given prior warning about the Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria. He noted that as Turkish forces detected the Israeli jets moving north toward their airspace, Turkey could have reasonably prepared a military response. Barrett credited calm actors for preventing further escalation and emphasized the need for a stronger mechanism to prevent misunderstandings between Israel, Syria, and Turkey, which the US is currently working to establish.

Barrett explained that Washington is already facilitating a communication channel for information sharing and dialogue among the parties but stressed the necessity for a more robust system with additional resources to avoid future conflicts. He also mentioned that the Israeli strike reflected a perception, whether accurate or not, that Turkey might increase its presence at the Syrian base soon. Barrett called for reducing tensions to allow for more measured approaches.

The Israeli airstrikes, which occurred early Tuesday morning, targeted the runway at the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province, causing damage but no casualties. Subsequently, Syria's foreign minister acknowledged for the first time that Syria possesses nuclear material, asserting the right to use it for civilian purposes under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

Local sources reported that a Turkish military delegation recently visited the base, which had been out of operation for about ten years due to regional fighting, to assist with rehabilitation efforts. However, details about the timing, scope, or progress of Turkish assistance remain unclear. Following the attack, Turkey accused Israel of violating international law.