Ankara [Turkiye], August 19 (ANI): Turkiye on Wednesday rejected Israel's claim that its airstrikes on Syria's Abu al-Duhur military airport were linked to a planned Turkish troop deployment, saying the allegations "lack seriousness" and seek to legitimise strikes on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a post on X, the Turkish Presidential Communications Directorate said, "The allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Ministry, which lack seriousness, aim to legitimize Israel's unlawful airstrikes targeting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria."
İsrail Başbakanlığı tarafından ortaya atılan gayriciddi iddialar, İsrail’in Suriye’nin egemenliğini ve toprak bütünlüğünü hedef alan hukuksuz hava saldırılarını meşrulaştırmayı amaçlamaktadır.
Dile getirilen ithamlar, Netanyahu’nun İsrail’deki seçimler öncesinde bölgedeki…
It added, "The accusations raised stem from Netanyahu's intent to continue his expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of elections in Israel."
Turkiye said it supports the establishment of lasting peace in the region, adding that "the sole path to this lies in Netanyahu abandoning his aggressive and coercive policies and demonstrating respect for international law".
"Turkey will steadfastly continue its cooperation with the Syrian Government on legitimate grounds to establish peace, stability, and prosperity in Syria, and will never allow Syria to be destabilized," it said.
The remarks came after Israel carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria's eastern Idlib province. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Syria was allowing Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday (local time), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called the strikes "yet another very worrying violation" of Syria's territorial integrity and airspace.
"These air strikes should stop, and we stand against them," Dujarric said at a UN press briefing on Tuesday.
As per Al Jazeera, Egypt's Foreign Ministry also condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them a "dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability in the region".
In a statement, the ministry said Egypt "fully rejects" Israel's continued violations of Syrian sovereignty and warned that the strikes could further destabilise Syria at a critical time when the country requires support to restore stability and pursue political solutions.
Cairo called on the international community to "assume its responsibilities" by putting an end to repeated Israeli violations and adopting firm measures to deter actions that could fuel a broader regional conflict.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel and Syria had agreed to maintain a security "status quo".
In a post on X, Netanyahu's office said, "Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo," the statement said.
"Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo," it added.
Meanwhile, US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack expressed concern over the Israeli airstrikes, calling them an "unnecessary escalation".
"We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability," Barrack said.
The airbase was targeted in four airstrikes, marking the first reported attack on the facility since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024. (ANI)
