Turkish President Erdogan Condemns Netanyahu Over Israeli Airstrike in Syria Ahead of Elections

Hours after Israel officially acknowledged responsibility for an airstrike at the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Erdogan condemned the Israeli statement justifying the strike as baseless and accused Netanyahu of destabilizing the region ahead of upcoming Israeli elections. Erdogan stated that Turkey, along with most of the international community, supports establishing lasting peace in the region and urged Netanyahu to abandon his aggressive policies and respect international law.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office clarified that the strike targeted Syrian intentions to allow Turkish forces to deploy at the airbase near Aleppo, which Israel views as a violation of existing understandings aimed at maintaining regional security. Israel warned Syria repeatedly that such a deployment would threaten its security, but Syria ignored these warnings. The Israeli statement emphasized that Israel will not tolerate threats to its security and welcomes a return to the previous status quo.

Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to legitimate cooperation with the Syrian government to promote peace, stability, and prosperity, asserting that Turkey will never allow its stability to be undermined. The incident highlights escalating tensions between Israel and Turkey amid broader regional security concerns and political developments in Israel.