Israeli Defense Minister Warns Erdogan Against Testing Israel’s Resolve Over Syria

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a sharp warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a message posted in Turkish on social media. Katz cautioned Erdogan against testing Israel’s determination to defend itself amid rising tensions over Turkey’s military presence in Syria. He urged Erdogan to continue delivering what he called "empty, fantastical speeches" against Israel rather than provoking a confrontation.

The message came following an Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria, targeting Turkish forces reportedly planning to deploy near Aleppo. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s responsibility for the strike, emphasizing that Israel will not tolerate a Turkish military foothold in Syria that threatens its security. Netanyahu stated, "We made the message clear: Don’t. Apparently, they didn’t hear it well enough, so we made sure they understood it better."

The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement explaining that Israel and Syria had agreed to maintain a security status quo, which Syria was about to breach by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at the airbase near Aleppo. Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would threaten its security, but Syria ignored these warnings. Additionally, Reuters reported that Mossad chief David Barnea spoke by phone with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad four days before the strike, discussing Turkey’s military presence in Syria.

This exchange highlights escalating tensions between Israel and Turkey over military activities in Syria and Israel’s firm stance against any threats to its security from Turkish forces in the region.