Israeli War Minister Israel Katz has issued a direct warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Türkiye’s role in Syria, escalating tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv as Israel continues its military operations on Syrian territory.

In a post written in Turkish on X, Katz accused Erdogan of “dragging Türkiye into dangerous adventures in Syria” and claimed that Israel would not allow any actor to threaten its security.

Katz also attacked Erdogan’s statements in the Turkish parliament, saying the Turkish president should continue making what he described as “fantastical statements” rather than testing Israel’s determination to defend itself.

The remarks came amid growing Israeli opposition to Türkiye’s efforts to support Syria’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and to strengthen cooperation with the new Syrian administration.

Katz’s warning followed remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel would not accept a Turkish military presence in Syria if it viewed such a presence as a threat.

Netanyahu claimed that Israel had already conveyed its position to Türkiye but suggested that Ankara had not taken the warnings seriously enough.

His comments came shortly after an Israeli strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase in eastern Idlib, an attack that Damascus condemned as unjustified aggression and a dangerous escalation.

The strike was reportedly linked by Israel to allegations that Turkish forces could be deployed at the facility near Aleppo.

However, Ankara and Damascus have rejected Israel’s framing of the issue, stressing the importance of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Türkiye’s Communications Directorate strongly rejected Netanyahu’s allegations, describing them as baseless claims aimed at providing justification for Israeli attacks on Syrian territory.

Ankara has accused Israel of pursuing expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region while attempting to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.

From the Turkish perspective, cooperation with Damascus is aimed at supporting Syria’s stability and sovereignty rather than threatening Israel.

Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has said Ankara is closely monitoring the rising tensions caused by Israeli actions in Syria and is taking the necessary measures to protect Türkiye’s security interests.

Güler has also emphasized that Türkiye is working with Damascus to uphold Syria’s sovereignty.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has repeatedly stressed that Ankara does not seek confrontation with Israel in Syria, while making clear that repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian military facilities undermine Syria’s ability to defend itself against threats such as Daesh.

“We don't want to see any confrontation with Israel in Syria because Syria belongs to Syrians,” Fidan said.

The latest Israeli statements come amid an increasingly confrontational regional environment in which Israel has carried out repeated attacks against Syrian military sites since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Türkiye, meanwhile, has sought to help stabilize Syria and establish security cooperation with Damascus, viewing a stable and sovereign Syria as essential to regional security.

Israel’s objections to a possible Turkish military presence therefore represent not only a dispute over military deployments but also a broader disagreement over the future security architecture of Syria.

In April 2025, Israel reportedly struck the T4 airbase near Homs after Türkiye had assessed the facility in connection with potential defense cooperation with Damascus. Israeli officials had previously described any Turkish military base near Palmyra as a potential “red line.”

For Ankara, however, Syria’s security arrangements are ultimately a matter for Syrians and their legitimate government to determine.

The latest exchange between Katz and Erdogan highlights the widening divide between Türkiye and Israel over Syria, while also underscoring Ankara’s increasingly prominent role in efforts to stabilize the country following years of conflict. (ILKHA)